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Te-seeded growth of few-quintuple layer Bi2Te3 nanoplates

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Abstract

We report on a Te-seeded epitaxial growth of ultrathin Bi2Te3 nanoplates (down to three quintuple layers (QL)) with large planar sizes (up to tens of micrometers) through vapor transport. Optical contrast has been systematically investigated for the as-grown Bi2Te3 nanoplates on the SiO2/Si substrates, experimentally and computationally. The high and distinct optical contrast provides a fast and convenient method for the thickness determination of few-QL Bi2Te3 nanoplates. By aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, a hexagonal crystalline structure has been identified for the Te seeds, which form naturally during the growth process and initiate an epitaxial growth of the rhombohedralstructured Bi2Te3 nanoplates. The epitaxial relationship between Te and Bi2Te3 is identified to be perfect along both in-plane and out-of-plane directions of the layered nanoplate. Similar growth mechanism might be expected for other bismuth chalcogenide layered materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371, Singapore

    Yanyuan Zhao, Jun Zhang, Xinglin Wen & Qihua Xiong

  2. Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, E-08193, Bellaterra, CAT, Spain

    Maria de la Mata & Jordi Arbiol

  3. Department of Physics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, USA

    Richard L. J. Qiu & Xuan P. A. Gao

  4. Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzadas (LMA), Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon (INA) — ARAID and Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain

    Cesar Magen

  5. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, CAT, Spain

    Jordi Arbiol

  6. NOVITAS, Nanoelectronics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Qihua Xiong

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  1. Yanyuan Zhao
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Zhao, Y., de la Mata, M., Qiu, R.L.J. et al. Te-seeded growth of few-quintuple layer Bi2Te3 nanoplates. Nano Res. 7, 1243–1253 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0487-y

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