Synthesis and Characterization of Nanomaterials of the Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe

A new class of materials, topological crystalline insulators (TCIs), have been shown to possess exotic surface state properties that are protected by mirror symmetry. These surface features can be enhanced if the surface-area-to-volume ratio of the material increases or the signal arising from the bulk of the material can be suppressed. We report the experimental procedures to obtain high-quality crystal boules of the TCI, SnTe, from which nanowires and microcrystals can be produced by the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) technique. Detailed characterization measurements of the bulk crystals as well as of the nanowires and microcrystals produced are presented. The nanomaterials produced were found to be stoichiometrically similar to the source material used. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) shows that the majority of the nanocrystals grow in the vicinal {001} direction to the growth normal. The growth conditions to produce the different nanostructures of SnTe have been optimized.