We report findings related to the HgTe nanodots fabricated from the precipitation phenomenon in the HgTe−PbTe quasi-binary system. With
homogeneous nucleation and growth of HgTe phase, a well defined nanostructure is obtained, where the nanodots are three-dimensionally
dispersed within the PbTe matrix. The nanodots prefer to take disk shape to relax a strong strain energy that resulted from the formation of
disordered HgTe phase. With this facile and effective technique, the nanodots with various morphologies can be realized within any form of
matrix, such as powder, bulk, or thin film, providing a new way to tailor the properties of the nanodots.