The principal of Pikotek LLC has developed a method for catalyst-free epitaxy of single material semiconductor nanowire (NWs) or vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) epitaxy for complementary dual-material NWs with two different metal catalysts specially separated on predetermined local (111) facets for single-direction growth on a silicon (Si) (001) substrate. VLS nanowire typically grow perpendicular to their substrates, which makes organizing and contracting them into circuits difficult and complex. Epitaxy refers to the process of depositing a crystalline layer, or film, on a crystalline substrate and is used to grow defect-free semiconductors and nano materials.
