Supercritical fluid electrodeposition, structural and electrical characterisation of tellurium nanowires

Abstract

Supercritical fluid electrodeposition (SCFED) was employed for rapid deposition (2.5 mm min À1) of tellurium nanowires (TeNW) of nominal size range 13 nm to 55 nm diameter and tens of micrometers in length.Anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes were used as hard templates for the electrodeposition by evaporation of platinum or gold onto one face to form the electrode. TeNWs were characterised both in situ and after removal of the AAO template by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The nanowires were crystalline with a strong preferred orientation in all cases. The typical h001i growth direction was always observed for samples produced using platinum coated membranes; however for the gold coated membranes, a chemical reaction between the tellurium(IV) precursor and the gold led to atypical h110i growth. Transistor devices were fabricated from individual TeNWs and their electrical properties characterised.

Electrochemical Approaches for the Recovery of Metals from Electronic Waste: A Critical Review

“…The electrodeposition of protocrystalline Ge films onto TiN electrodes with [GeI 3 ] − as precursor was also reported by analogous means [121]. When templates such as metal coated anodic aluminium oxide membranes were used for SCFED, tellurium [122] and tin nanowires [123,124] were fabricated with a high-quality crystalline structure.…”

Template-free electrochemical deposition of tellurium nanowires with eutectic solvents

“…Alternatively, it is possible to produce nanowires by electrodepositing materials through a porous template made of aluminium oxide, polycarbonate or another similar material that can be later removed through a dissolution process [6]. These produce very ordered arrays of similar wires, although challenges surrounding pore filling can hinder growth, particularly when using templates with very narrow nanometre-scale pores.…”

Electroless deposition of tellurium nanowires in eutectic solvents using immobilised silver islands

“…5 Electrodeposition through a porous template can produce ordered arrays of similar wires, though challenges of pore lling can hinder growth, particularly for depositions into pores on the order of tens of nanometers. 6 Template-free electrodeposition is a promising alternative that can produce small diameter nanowires without complex templates, high temperatures or vacuum apparatus. Reaction conditions are chosen to guide growth favoured crystal direction by dissolved species such as SiCl 4 (ref.…”

“… 5 Electrodeposition through a porous template can produce ordered arrays of similar wires, though challenges of pore filling can hinder growth, particularly for depositions into pores on the order of tens of nanometers. 6 …”