Transport properties of single-crystalline n-type semiconducting PbTe nanowires

Abstract

Single-crystalline PbTe nanowires were synthesized using the chemical vapor transport method. They consisted of rock-salt structure PbTe nanocrystals uniformly grown in the [100] direction. We fabricated field-effect transistors using a single PbTe nanowire, providing evidence for its intrinsic n-type semiconductor characteristics. The values of the carrier mobility and concentration were estimated to be 0.83 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and 8.8 x 10(17) cm(-3), respectively. The Seebeck coefficients (-72 mu V K-1) of individual nanowires were measured to show their n-type carrier-dominated thermoelectric transport properties.