Catalyst-free growth of Bi2Te3 nanostructures by molecular beam epitaxy

We present the catalyst-free growth of binary Bi2Te3 topological insulator nanostructures on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Dense arrays of single-crystalline nanostructures, growing along the [110] direction, are obtained for substrate temperatures ranging from ∼180 °C to 26...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2014-10, Vol.105 (15), p.153114
Main Authors: Harrison, S. E., Schönherr, P., Huo, Y., Harris, J. S., Hesjedal, T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physics
Bismuth tellurides
Catalysis
Catalysts
Epitaxial growth
Molecular beam epitaxy
Nanostructure
Sapphire
Single crystals
Substrates
Temperature dependence
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Summary:We present the catalyst-free growth of binary Bi2Te3 topological insulator nanostructures on c-plane sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Dense arrays of single-crystalline nanostructures, growing along the [110] direction, are obtained for substrate temperatures ranging from ∼180 °C to 260 °C. The growth rate and shape of the nanostructures are highly temperature-dependent. The microscopic study of the nanostructures and their relationship to the underlying Bi2Te3 thin film gives an insight into the growth mechanism.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.4898816