Nanowire, device comprising nanowire, and their production methods

1. A nanowire comprising:

a nanowire body made of a first semiconductor material which contains a plurality of elements; and

a plurality of nanoparticles made of a second semiconductor material which contains at least one of the plurality of elements and is different from the first semiconductor material, the plurality of nanoparticles being located at least one of an interior and a surface of the nanowire body.

2. The nanowire of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material have different band gaps.

3. The nanowire of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are single-crystalline or polycrystalline.

4. The nanowire of claim 1 having at least one first region in which the plurality of nanoparticles are located at least one of the interior and the surface of the nanowire body and at least one second region in which the plurality of nanoparticles are not located at the interior or the surface of the nanowire body.

5. The nanowire of claim 4 , wherein the first region and the second region are composed of different semiconductor materials.

6. The nanowire of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor material is made of at least two elements selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium, and carbon.

7. An electronic device comprising the nanowire of claim 1 .

8. A light-emission device comprising:

at least one nanowire; and

a first electrode and a second electrode which are connected to the nanowire, wherein, the nanowire includes

a nanowire body made of a first semiconductor material which contains a plurality of elements, and

a plurality of nanoparticles made of a second semiconductor material which contains at least one of the plurality of elements and is different from the first semiconductor material, the plurality of nanoparticles being located in at least a portion of an interior and a surface of the nanowire body; and

when a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode, at least a portion of the plurality of nanoparticles emits light.

9. The light-emission device of claim 8 , wherein, in the nanowire, the plurality of nanoparticles are located in the interior of the nanowire body and covered by the first semiconductor material.

10. A photodetection device comprising:

at least one nanowire; and

a first electrode and a second electrode connected to the nanowire, wherein, the nanowire includes

a nanowire body made of a first semiconductor material which contains a plurality of elements, and

a plurality of nanoparticles made of a second semiconductor material which contains at least one of the plurality of elements and is different from the first semiconductor material, the plurality of nanoparticles being located in at least a portion of an interior and a surface of the nanowire body; and

when light is incident on the plurality of nanoparticles, an electric current occurs between the first electrode and the second electrode.

11. The light-emission device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are present in the light-receiving region of the nanowire.

12. A production method for a nanowire, comprising:

step (A) of providing a substrate having catalyst metal particles disposed on a surface;

step (B) of growing on the substrate a nanowire body being made of a first semiconductor material which contains a plurality of elements; and

step (C) of forming, in at least a portion of a surface and an interior of the nanowire body, a plurality of nanoparticles being made of a second semiconductor material which contains at least one of the plurality of elements, wherein, step (C) includes:

step (c1) of allowing the plurality of nanoparticles to precipitate on the surface of the nanowire body; and

step (c2) of allowing at least a portion of the plurality of nanoparticles to move to the interior of the nanowire body.

13. The production method of the nanowire of claim 12 , wherein step (c1) allows the plurality of nanoparticles to precipitate on the surface of the nanowire body by subjecting a surface of the first semiconductor material to a thermal oxidation.

14. The production method for a nanowire of claim 12 , wherein step (c2) allows the plurality of nanoparticles to move by subjecting the nanowire body to a heat treatment in an inert gas ambient.