Pulsed current-voltage electrodeposition of stoichiometric Bi2Te3 nanowires and their crystallographic characterization by transmission electron backscatter diffraction

Cristina V Manzano; Mikhail N Polyakov; Jon Maiz; Myriam H Aguirre; Xavier Maeder; Marisol Martín-González

doi:10.1080/14686996.2019.1671778

Pulsed current-voltage electrodeposition of stoichiometric Bi₂Te₃ nanowires and their crystallographic characterization by transmission electron backscatter diffraction

Sci Technol Adv Mater. 2019 Sep 25;20(1):1022-1030. doi: 10.1080/14686996.2019.1671778. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Cristina V Manzano^{1

2}, Mikhail N Polyakov², Jon Maiz¹, Myriam H Aguirre^{3

4}, Xavier Maeder², Marisol Martín-González¹

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Micro y Nanotecnología, IMN-CNM, CSIC (CEI UAM+CSIC) Isaac Newton, 8, E-28760, Tres Cantos, Spain.
² Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Thun, Switzerland.
³ Laboratory of Advanced Microscopy and Department of Physics Condensed Matter, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁴ Institute of Nanoscience of Aragón-ICMA-CSIC, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.

Abstract

Bi₂Te₃ nanowires with diameters ranging from 25 to 270 nm, ultra-high aspect ratio, and uniform growth front were fabricated by electrodeposition, pulsing between zero current density during the off time and constant potential during the on time (pulsed-current-voltage method, p-IV). The use of zero current density during the off time is to ensure no electrodeposition is carried out and the system is totally relaxed. By this procedure, stoichiometric nanowires oriented perpendicular to the c-axis is obtained for the different diameters of porous alumina templates. In addition, the samples show a uniform growth front with ultra-high aspect ratio single crystal nanowires. The high degree of crystallinity was verified by transmission electron backscatter diffraction. This characterization revealed that the nanowires present both large single crystalline areas and areas with alternating twin configurations.

Keywords: 102 Porous / Nanoporous / Nanostructured materials; 300 Processing / Synthesis and Recycling; 301 Chemical syntheses / processing; 302 Crystallization / Heat treatment / Crystal growth; 503 TEM; 504 X-ray / Neutron diffraction and scattering; Pulsed electrodeposition; SEM; STEM; bismuth telluride; nanowires; thermoelectric materials; transmission electron backscatter diffraction (t-EBSD).