Using galvanostatic electroforming of Bi1–xSbx nanowires to control composition, crystallinity, and orientation. Issue 2 (3rd December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Limmer, Steven J.; Medlin, Douglas L.; Siegal, Michael P.; Hekmaty, Michelle; Lensch-Falk, Jessica L.; Erickson, Kristopher; Pillars, Jamin; Yelton, W. Graham
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials research. Volume 30:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 164
• Page End: 169
• Publication Date: 2014-12-03
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2014.354
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0884-2914

Abstract

Abstract: Abstract : Using galvanostatic pulse deposition, we studied the factors influencing the quality of electroformed Bi1– x Sb x nanowires with respect to composition, crystallinity, and preferred orientation for high thermoelectric performance. Two nonaqueous baths with different Sb salts were investigated. The Sb salts used played a major role in both crystalline quality and preferred orientations. Nanowire arrays electroformed using an SbI3 -based chemistry were polycrystalline with no preferred orientation, whereas arrays electroformed from an SbCl3 -based chemistry were strongly crystallographically textured with the desired trigonal orientation for optimal thermoelectric performance. From the SbCl3 bath, the electroformed nanowire arrays were optimized to have nanocompositional uniformity, with a nearly constant composition along the nanowire length. Nanowires harvested from the center of the array had an average composition of Bi0.75 Sb0.25 . However, the nanowire compositions were slightly enriched in Sb in a small region near the edges of the array, with the composition approaching Bi0.70 Sb0.30 .