Highly ordered and well-oriented single-crystal CdTe nanowire arrays by direct-current electrodeposition

Highly ordered CdTe nanowire arrays were prepared by electrochemical deposition into the pores of anodic aluminum oxide templates from an ethylene glycol bath containing CdCl2, TeCl4, and KI. Electron microscopy results showed that the length, diameter, and direction of growth of the nanowires were quite uniform. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution electron microscopy investigations showed that these nanowires had a crystalline structure of hexagonal CdTe single crystal with a uniform [001] growth direction.