Sumesh Sadhujan, Sherina Harilal, Kefan Zhang, Riam Abu Much, Abdullah AbuBekr, Ayat Asleh, Awad Shalabny, Amro Sweedan, Nursidik Yulianto, Andam Deatama Refino, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Laila Abu Madegam, Aeid Igbaria, Mariela J. Pavan, Muhammad Y. Bashouti
Nanowire surfaces are of particular interest, primarily for their potential in optoelectronic applications. Thus, different surface treatments have been performed to develop methods for controlling the surface effect. Here, we successfully shifted the n-type surface states in n-type GaN nanorods to p-type states in the challenging regime, i.e., the blue regime. This was achieved through reverse charge transfer driven by an electrostatic field induced by surface strain. The p-type surface state demonstrates an inverted photovoltage mechanism, as well as a stable blue photoluminescence at room temperature under ambient conditions, within the n-type GaN nanorods. The inverted charge transfer at the surface of the GaN nanorod array was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface photovoltage, Kelvin probe, Raman, and photoluminescence measurements. The mechanism and the study’s conclusions have been supported experimentally and theoretically. This surface state inversion approach offers a new strategy for regulating p-n junctions in low-dimensional nanomaterials. © 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.
Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, J. Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshset Ben-Gurion Building 26, 8499000, Israel; The Academic Arab College for Education in Israel-Haifa, 22 Hahashmal St., Haifa, 33145, Israel; The Ilse-Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Marcus Family Campus, Building 51, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel; Institute of Semiconductor Technology (IHT), Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany; Research Center for Photonics, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Kawasan Puspiptek Gd. 442, South Tangerang, 15314, Indonesia; Engineering Physics Program, Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA), Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Way Huwi, Lampung Selatan, Lampung, 35365, Indonesia; PT Nanosense Instrument Indonesia, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, 55167, Indonesia; The Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beersheba, 841050, Israel