InSb Nanowire Direct Growth on Plastic for Monolithic Flexible Device Fabrication

We report direct growth of InSb nanowires (NWs) and monolithic device fabrication on flexible plastic substrates. The nanowires were grown using metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in self-catalyzed mode. The InSb NWs are shown to form in the zinc-blende crystal structure and to exhibit strong photoluminescence at room temperature. The NW array light-trapping properties are evidenced by reflectance that is significantly reduced compared to bulk material. Finally, the InSb NWs are used to demonstrate a metal–semiconductor–metal photoresistor directly on the flexible plastic substrate. The results are believed to advance the integration of III–V nanowires to flexible devices, and infrared photodetectors in particular.