Fabrication and temperature dependence of the resistance of single-crystalline Bi nanowires

Single-crystalline Bi nanowires with diameters ranging from 20 to 70 nm were prepared by electrodeposition using nanoporous aluminum oxide membranes rather than the more usual track-etched polycarbonate membranes. X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction investigations revealed that the nanowires are essentially single crystalline and highly oriented. The temperature dependence of zero-field resistance of different diameter nanowires indicated that these Bi nanowires undergo a semimetal–semiconductor transition due to two-dimensional quantum confinement effects. The resistance maximum was observed at 50 K in zero magnetic field for 20 nm Bi nanowires, while the resistance minimum at 258 K for 50 nm Bi nanowires, due to the quantum size effect.