0000000000040458
AUTHOR
Jana Andzane
Catalyst-free vapour-solid technique for deposition of Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3 nanowires/nanobelts with topological insulator properties.
We present a simple two-stage vapour–solid synthesis method for the growth of bismuth chalcogenide (Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3) topological insulator nanowires/nanobelts by using Bi2Se3 or Bi2Te3 powders as source materials. During the first stage of the synthesis process nanoplateteles, serving as “catalysts” for further nanowire/nanobelt growth, are formed. At a second stage of the synthesis, the introduction of a N2 flow at 35 Torr pressure in the chamber induces the formation of free standing nanowires/nanobelts. The synthesised nanostructures demonstrate a layered single-crystalline structure and Bi : Se and Bi : Te ratios 40 : 60 at% for both Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 nanowires/nanobelts. The presence of…
Devices based on semiconductor nanowires
Recently, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have attracted much attention due to their unique properties and possible applications that differ greatly from those of microelectromechanical systems. NEMS operating frequencies may achieve giga- and terahertz levels and their power consumption and heat capacity is extremely low. Moreover, integration levels may reach 1012 devices per cm−2. In this review, we present techniques for integrating semiconductor materials in NEMS. In particular, we examine fabrication, structure, properties and potential applications of two main classes of NEMS, namely, resonators and switches.
An AC-assisted single-nanowire electromechanical switch
A unique two-source controlled nanoelectromechanical switch has been assembled from individual, single-clamped Ge nanowires. The switching behaviour was achieved by superimposing the control signals of specific frequencies to the electrostatic potential of the output terminals, eliminating the need for an additional gate electrode. Using an in situ manipulation technique inside a scanning electron microscope, we demonstrate that the pull-out force required to overcome adhesion at the contact can be significantly reduced by exciting mechanical resonant modes within the nanowire.
Growth mechanisms and related thermoelectric properties of innovative hybrid networks fabricated by direct deposition of Bi2Se3 and Sb2Te3 on multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Abstract Flexible thermoelectric generators are an emerging trend in the field of waste heat conversion, as well as wearable and autonomous devices. However, the energy conversion efficiency of the state-of-the-art flexible thermoelectric devices is too low for their wide application and commercialization. In this work, n- and p-type multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-thermoelectric material hybrid networks that may become a promising building block for the fabrication of flexible thermoelectric devices are presented. The hybrid networks were fabricated by direct deposition of thermoelectric material (Bi2Se3, Sb2Te3) on the MWCNT networks using physical vapor deposition technique. Growth m…
Structure and Doping Determined Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2Se3Thin Films Deposited by Vapour–Solid Technique
In this work, a simple catalyst-free vapour-solid deposition method was applied for controlled deposition of two types (planar and disordered) of continuous Bi 2 Se 3 nanostructured thin films on different (fused quartz/glass, mica, graphene) substrates. Characterisation of electron transport (type, concentration and mobility of the main charge carriers) and thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient and power factor) showed that proposed in this work deposition method allows to obtain Bi 2 Se 3 thin films with power factor comparable and even higher than reported for the Bi 2 Se 3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy technique. Power factor of the best obtained thin films can be …
Bulk-free topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 nanoribbons with magnetotransport signatures of Dirac surface states
Many applications for topological insulators (TIs) as well as new phenomena require devices with reduced dimensions. While much progress has been made to realize thin films of TIs with low bulk carrier density, nanostructures have not yet been reported with similar properties, despite the fact that size confinement should help reduce contributions from bulk carriers. Here we demonstrate that Bi2Se3 nanoribbons, grown by a simple catalyst-free physical-vapour deposition, have inherently low bulk carrier densities, and can be further made bulk-free by size confinement, thus revealing the high mobility topological surface states. Magneto transport and Hall conductance measurements, in single n…
High-Mobility Ambipolar Magnetotransport in Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 Nanoribbons
Nanoribbons of topological insulators (TIs) have been suggested for a variety of applications exploiting the properties of the topologically protected surface Dirac states. In these proposals it is crucial to achieve a high tunability of the Fermi energy, through the Dirac point while preserving a high mobility of the involved carriers. Tunable transport in TI nanoribbons has been achieved by chemical doping of the materials so to reduce the bulk carriers' concentration, however at the expense of the mobility of the surface Dirac electrons, which is substantially reduced. Here we study bare ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ nanoribbons transferred on a variety of oxide substrates and dem…
Cryogenic nanoelectromechanical switch enabled by Bi2Se3 nanoribbons
Abstract Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches are potential candidates for memory and logic devices for low standby-current and harsh environment applications. Cryogenic operation of these devices would allow to use them, e.g., in space probes and in conjunction with quantum computers. Herein, it is demonstrated that cryogenic application requirements such as good flexibility and conductivity are satisfied by using Bi2Se3 nanoribbons as active elements in NEM switches. Experimental proof of principle NEM switching at temperatures as low as 5 K is achieved in volatile and non-volatile reversible regimes, exhibiting distinct ON and OFF states, backed by theoretical modelling. The results open…
Surface structure promoted high-yield growth and magnetotransport properties of Bi2Se3 nanoribbons
AbstractIn the present work, a catalyst-free physical vapour deposition method is used to synthesize high yield of Bi2Se3 nanoribbons. By replacing standard glass or quartz substrates with aluminium covered with ultrathin porous anodized aluminium oxide (AAO), the number of synthesized nanoribbons per unit area can be increased by 20–100 times. The mechanisms of formation and yield of the nanoribbons synthesized on AAO substrates having different arrangement and size of pores are analysed and discussed. It is shown that the yield and average length of the nanoribbons can base tuned by adjustment of the synthesis parameters. Analysis of magnetotransport measurements for the individual Bi2Se3…
Improved Crystalline Structure and Enhanced Photoluminescence of ZnO Nanolayers in Bi2Se3/ZnO Heterostructures
The Bi2Se3/ZnO heterostructure is a new combination of high- and low-band-gap nanomaterials that can be implemented for optoelectronic devices. The influence of the Bi2Se3 substrate on crystallizat...
Role of Nanoelectromechanical Switching in the Operation of Nanostructured Bi2Se3 Interlayers between Conductive Electrodes
We demonstrate a simple low-cost method of preparation of layered devices for opto- and thermoelectric applications. The devices consist of a functional Bi2Se3 layer of randomly oriented nanoplates and flexible nanobelts enclosed between two flat indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The number of functional interconnections between the ITO electrodes and correspondingly the efficiency of the device can be increased by gradual nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switching of flexible individual Bi2Se3 nanobelts in the circuit. NEM switching is achieved through applying an external voltage to the device. For the first time, we investigate in situ NEM switching and breakdown parameters of Bi2Se3 nanobel…
Correlation analysis of vibration modes in physical vapour deposited Bi 2 Se 3 thin films probed by the Raman mapping technique
In this work, the Raman spectroscopy mapping technique is used for the analysis of mechanical strain in Bi2Se3 thin films of various (3-400 nm) thicknesses synthesized by physical vapour deposition on amorphous quartz and single-layer graphene substrates. The evaluation of strain effects is based on the correlation analysis of in-plane (E2g) and out-of-plane (A21g) Raman mode positions. For Bi2Se3 films deposited on quartz, experimental datapoints are scattered along the line with a slope of similar to 0.85, related to the distribution of hydrostatic strain. In contrast to quartz/Bi2Se3 samples, for graphene/Bi2Se3 heterostructures with the same thicknesses, an additional negative slope of …
Young’s modulus and indirect morphological analysis of Bi2Se3nanoribbons by resonance measurements
An electrostatically induced resonance behaviour of individual topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanoribbons grown by a catalyst free vapour-solid synthesis was studied in situ by scanning electron microscopy. It was demonstrated that the relation between the resonant frequencies of vibrations in orthogonal planes can be applied to distinguish the nanoribbons with rectangular cross-sections from the nanoribbons having step-like morphology (terraces). The average Young's modulus of the Bi2Se3 nanoribbons with rectangular cross-sections was found to be 44 ± 4 GPa.
Electrochemically etched sharp aluminium probes with nanoporous aluminium oxide coatings: demonstration of addressed DNA delivery
Electrochemical etching of metal wires is widely used to fabricate sharp probes for use in scanning tunnelling microscopy. In this work an electrochemical fabrication method for sharp aluminium probes coated with nanoporous anodised aluminium oxide (AAO) layer is described. The method presented here involves simultaneous anodisation and etching of aluminium wires. The probe apex radius as well as the nanopore length and diameter depend on the etching mode, which could be direct current (DC), alternating current (AC), or pulsed voltage mode (PVM). The probes, coated with a nanoporous AAO layer, were used to demonstrate addressed DNA delivery.
Photoconductive properties of Bi2S3nanowires
The photoconductive properties of Bi2S3 nanowires synthesized inside anodized alumina (AAO) membrane have been characterized as a function of illuminating photon energy between the wavelengths of 500 to 900 nm and at constant illumination intensity of 1–4 μW·cm−2. Photoconductivity spectra, photocurrent values, photocurrent onset/decay times of individual Bi2S3 nanowires liberated from the AAO membrane were determined and compared with those of arrays of as-produced Bi2S3 nanowires templated inside pores of AAO membrane. The alumina membrane was found to significantly influence the photoconductive properties of the AAO-hosted Bi2S3 nanowires, when compared to liberated from the AAO membrane…
Two-terminal nanoelectromechanical devices based on germanium nanowires.
A two-terminal bistable device, having both ON and OFF regimes, has been demonstrated with Ge nanowires using an in situ TEM-STM technique. The function of the device is based on delicately balancing electrostatic, elastic, and adhesion forces between the nanowires and the contacts, which can be controlled by the applied voltage. The operation and failure conditions of the bistable device were investigated, i.e. the influence of nanowire diameter, the surface oxide layer on the nanowires and the current density. During ON/OFF cycles the Ge nanowires were observed to be more stable than carbon nanotubes, working at similar conditions, due to the higher mechanical stability of the nanowires. …
Thickness-dependent properties of ultrathin bismuth and antimony chalcogenide films formed by physical vapor deposition and their application in thermoelectric generators
This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project No 1.1.1.1/16/A/257. J. A. acknowledges the ERDF project No. 1.1.1.2/1/16/037. Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2 . The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also form a part of an ongoing study.
Topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson junctions: Evidence for size effects in transport properties
We have used Bi$_2$Se$_3$ nanoribbons, grown by catalyst-free Physical Vapor Deposition to fabricate high quality Josephson junctions with Al superconducting electrodes. In our devices we observe a pronounced reduction of the Josephson critical current density $J_c$ by reducing the width of the junction, which in our case corresponds to the width of the nanoribbon. Because the topological surface states extend over the entire circumference of the nanoribbon, the superconducting transport associated to them is carried by modes on both the top and bottom surfaces of the nanoribbon. We show that the $J_c$ reduction as a function of the nanoribbons width can be accounted for by assuming that on…
High-Yield Growth and Tunable Morphology of Bi2Se3 Nanoribbons Synthesized on Thermally Dewetted Au
The yield and morphology (length, width, thickness) of stoichiometric Bi2Se3 nanoribbons grown by physical vapor deposition is studied as a function of the diameters and areal number density of the Au catalyst nanoparticles of mean diameters 8–150 nm formed by dewetting Au layers of thicknesses 1.5–16 nm. The highest yield of the Bi2Se3 nanoribbons is reached when synthesized on dewetted 3 nm thick Au layer (mean diameter of Au nanoparticles ~10 nm) and exceeds the nanoribbon yield obtained in catalyst-free synthesis by almost 50 times. The mean lengths and thicknesses of the Bi2Se3 nanoribbons are directly proportional to the mean diameters of Au catalyst nanoparticles. In contrast, the me…
Application of Ge Nanowire for Two-Input Bistable Nanoelectromechanical Switch
Recently, several research groups presented bistable two-terminal nanoelectromechanical switches based on individual single-clamped active element. All presented devices had one input electrode. Similar devices having two or more input electrodes have not been yet investigated. In this work we present the two-input bistable controlled nanoelectromechanical switch based on an individual single-clamped Ge nanowire. The switch is realised using in-situ SEM technique and operating due to balancing of electrostatic, adhesion and elastic forces. The operation conditions of the device are investigated and presented. The advantages and drawbacks of the device are discussed. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/1…
Application of Tuning Fork Sensors for In-situ Studies of Dynamic Force Interactions Inside Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes
Mechanical properties of nanoscale contacts have been probed in-situ by specially developed force sensor based on a quartz tuning fork resonator (TF). Additional control is provided by observation of process in scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A piezoelectric manipulator allows precise positioning of atomic force microscope (AFM) probe in contact with another electrode and recording of the TF oscillation amplitude and phase while simultaneously visualizing the contact area in electron microscope. Electrostatic control of interaction between the electrodes is demonstrated during observation of the experiment in SEM. In the TEM system the TF senso…
Review: Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical switches – materials solutions and operational conditions
This review summarizes relevant research in the field of electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches. The main switch architectures and structural elements are briefly described and compared. Investigation methods that allow for exploring coupled electromechanical interactions as well as studies of mechanically or electrically induced effects are covered. An examination of the complex nanocontact behaviour during various stages of the switching cycle is provided. The choice of the switching element and the electrode is addressed from the materials perspective, detailing the benefits and drawbacks for each. An overview of experimentally demonstrated NEM swi…
Tuning of Structural and Optical Properties of Graphene/ZnO Nanolaminates
International audience; Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and graphene (G) have been extensively studied because of their unique physical properties. Here, Graphene-Zinc Oxide (G/ZnO) nanolaminates were fabricated, respectively, by chemical vapor deposition and low temperature atomic layer deposition technique. The number of obtained G/ZnO layers was tuned from 1 to 11 with a total thickness of 100 nm for all prepared nanolaminates. The structure, optical properties and interaction between G and ZnO were studied by X-ray methods, TEM, AFM, Raman and optical spectroscopy. The obtained results were interpreted and analysed taking into account strain and charge effects of graphene in G/ZnO nanostructures. We d…
Resonance assisted jump-in voltage reduction for electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based gateless NEM switches.
Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based electromechanical switches have shown promise for versatile novel applications, such as low power devices. However, their widespread use is restricted due to poor reliability resulting from high jump-in voltages. This article reports a new method for lowering the jump-in voltage by inducing mechanical oscillations in the active element during the switching ON process, reducing the jump-in voltage by more than three times. Ge0.91Sn0.09 alloy and Bi2Se3 nanowire-based nanoelectromechanical switches were constructed in situ to demonstrate the operation principles and advantages of the proposed method.
Structure-determined thermoelectric properties of Bi2Se3 thin films deposited by vapour-solid technique
International audience; In this work, a simple catalyst-free vapour-solid deposition method is applied for controlled obtaining of two types (planar and disordered) continuous Bi2Se3 nanostructured thin films on different (fused quartz/glass, mica, graphene) substrates. Performed for the deposited thin films transport and thermoelectric characterization (type, concentration and mobility of the main charge carriers, Seebeck coefficient and power factor) showed that proposed deposition method allows to fabricate “low-doped” Bi2Se3 thin films with power factor comparable and even higher than reported for the Bi2Se3 thin films fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy technique.
Effect of graphene substrate type on formation of Bi2Se3 nanoplates
AbstractKnowledge of nucleation and further growth of Bi2Se3 nanoplates on different substrates is crucial for obtaining ultrathin nanostructures and films of this material by physical vapour deposition technique. In this work, Bi2Se3 nanoplates were deposited under the same experimental conditions on different types of graphene substrates (as-transferred and post-annealed chemical vapour deposition grown monolayer graphene, monolayer graphene grown on silicon carbide substrate). Dimensions of the nanoplates deposited on graphene substrates were compared with the dimensions of the nanoplates deposited on mechanically exfoliated mica and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite flakes used as refer…
High transparency Bi 2 Se 3 topological insulator nanoribbon Josephson junctions with low resistive noise properties
Bi$_2$Se$_3$ nanoribbons, grown by catalyst-free Physical Vapour Deposition, have been used to fabricate high quality Josephson junctions with Al superconducting electrodes. The conductance spectra (dI/dV) of the junctions show clear dip-peak structures characteristic of multiple Andreev reflections. The temperature dependence of the dip-peak features reveals a highly transparent Al/Bi$_2$Se$_3$ topological insulator nanoribbon interface and Josephson junction barrier. This is supported by the high values of the Bi$_2$Se$_3$ induced gap and of I$_c$R$_n$ (I$_c$ critical current, R$_n$ normal resistance of the junction) product both of the order of 160 $\mu$eV, a value close to the Al gap. T…
A supercritical-fluid method for growing carbon nanotubes
Large‐scale generation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) is efficiently achieved through a supercritical fluid technique employing carbon dioxide as the carbon source. Nanotubes with diameters ranging from 10 to 20 nm and lengths of several tens of micrometers are synthesized (see figure). The supercritical‐fluid‐grown nanotubes also exhibit field‐emission characteristics similar to MCNTs grown by chemical‐vapor deposition.
Two-terminal nanoelectromechanical bistable switches based on molybdenum–sulfur–iodine molecular wire bundles
We demonstrate the application of Mo(6)S(3)I(6) molecular wire bundles for electrically controllable two-terminal on-off switches. We investigate how changes in the contact electrode material and geometry influence the device characteristics, hysteretic switching behavior and device stability. We also determine the device operating parameters, particularly the Young's moduli (40-270 GPa), operating current densities (3.2 x 10(5)-7 x 10(6) A m(-2)) and force constants. Although qualitatively, the properties of Mo(6)S(3)I(6) nanowires in nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches are similar to those of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), their lower friction coefficient, higher mechanical stability and highe…
Bi2Se3 Nanostructured Thin Films as Perspective Anodes for Aqueous Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries
This research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund Project (ERDF) No. 1.1.1.1/19/A/139. Y.R. acknowledges the support of post-doctoral ERDF project No. 1.1.1.2/VIAA/4/20/694. V.L. also acknowledges the support of “Strengthening of the capacity of doctoral studies at the University of Latvia within the framework of the new doctoral model”, identification No. 8.2.2.0/20/I/006. A.S. acknowledges the support from the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, which, as the Center of Excellence, has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART2.