Electrodeposition of single-crystal cubes of lead telluride on polycrystalline gold substrate

Single-crystal cubes of lead telluride (PbTe with NaCl structure) were electrodeposited on polycrystalline gold substrates. Electron and X-ray diffraction patterns and high-resolution TEM confirm that the single-crystal PbTe cubes were grown with their {100} planes parallel to the surface of the gold seed layer. The PbTe cubes might have nucleated on the {100} faces of individual Au grains on the basis of lattice mismatch calculation, followed by the lateral growth of new layers on the nuclei along the << 110 >> directions from the four edges of the PbTe cubes. The enlargement of the PbTe single crystals occurred through lateral growth, which led to the development of relatively large single-crystal cubes on polycrystalline Au seed layers having a smaller grain size.