Electrochemical deposition of thermoelectric SbxTey thin films and nanowires

SbxTey thin films and nanowires were electrochemically deposited on a Pt/Si substrate and a Au seed layer, respectively, from aqueous nitric acid solutions at room temperature. As the applied potential increased, the Te content in the films and nanowires decreased. Stoichiometric Sb2Te3 thin films and nanowires were grown at an applied voltage of -140 mV. The grain size and morphology of the Sb2Te3 films strongly depended on applied voltage and film thickness. The as-prepared SbxTey films were amorphous, whereas the as-annealed films were crystallized in the rhombohedral R (3) over barm structure. We fabricated reproducibly continuous and dense Sb2Te3 nanowires at -140 mV, allowing potential materials for high-performance thermoelectric nanodevices. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved