Synthesis and electrical properties of TiSi2 nanocables

Uniform TiSi2 nanocables were synthesized on large substrates using a simple physical vapor deposition method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electronic microscopy were employed to characterize the samples. It reveals that the as-grown TiSi2 nanocables are of high quality single crystal inside with thin amorphous SiO2 sheathing layer. Electrical properties of these core-shell structure nanowires are also presented. Insulativity of the outer layer and stable metallic characters of the inside single crystal TiSi2 were observed. Moreover, carrying capacity of current density is up to 1011A∕m2. The nanoscale structure and excellent electrical performance make the TiSi2 nanocables good candidate for electrical interconnection in potential nanodevices.