Fabrication of Silica‐Shielded Ga–ZnS Metal–Semiconductor Nanowire Heterojunctions

Ga–ZnS nanowire heterojunctions, uniformly sheathed with very thin silica nanotubes, are prepared via thermal evaporation of SiO, Ga2O3, and ZnS powder precursors followed by thermochemical reaction. Some nanowires have a single junction (Figure, top), while others have multiple junctions (bottom). The Ga–ZnS interface is particularly sensitive to electron-beam irradiation (EBI), making possible an EBI-driven switch.