Electrochemical synthesis of ordered CdTe nanowire arrays

Semiconductor CdTe nanowire arrays embedded in the nanochannels of the porous anodic alumina (PAA) template have been prepared by using a potentiostatic electrochemical deposition method. The morphology and structure of the CdTe nanowire arrays have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the CdTe nanowires with diameters and lengths of about 60 nm are single-crystalline with cubic phase structure, uniformly and continuously embedded in the nanochannels of the PAA template. X-ray energy-dispersion analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate that stoichiometric CdTe was formed. The growth mechanism of the CdTe nanowires is also discussed.