Structural and compositional characterization of Bi1−xSbx nanowire arrays grown by pulsed deposition to improve growth uniformity

Arrays of Bi1−xSbx nanowire with various compositions (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) are grown in etched ion-track membranes by pulsed electrochemical deposition. Nanowires of diameter from 130 nm down to 18 nm are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy combined with electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Compared to potentiostatic deposition, the pulsed synthesis method leads to a more uniform growth and higher filling rate of the wires across the entire template. By tuning the deposition parameters, we demonstrate excellent control over the wire composition and crystallographic orientation. The deposition process presented facilitates the development of future nanowire-based thermoelectric sensors, which are expected to exhibit a higher sensitivity and a faster response compared to thin film sensors.