Wurtzite-type faceted single-crystalline GaN nanotubes

We report on the direct fabrication of single-crystalline wurtzite-type hexagonal GaN nanotubes via a newly designed, controllable, and reproducible chemical thermal-evaporation process. The nanotubes are single crystalline, have one end closed, an average outer diameter of ∼300 nm, an inner diameter of ∼100 nm, and a wall thickness of ∼100 nm. The structure and morphology of the tubes are characterized using a scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope. The cathodoluminescence of individual nanotubes is also investigated. The growth mechanism, formation kinetics, and crystallography of GaN nanotubes are finally discussed.