Electrochemical deposition of bismuth micro- and nanowires using electroplate and lift lithography

Patterned micro- and nanowires of several compositions in the solution series of Bi_xTe_y were electrochemically deposited using Electroplate and Lift (E&L) Lithography on Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) templates. The composition of the deposited Bi_xTe_y wires was controlled by mixing saturated solutions of bismuth nitrate and tellurium in various ratios in the electroplating bath. All wires were electroplated via pulsed depositions at -1.4V vs. the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). The morphology and composition of all wires were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). In general, the Bi_xTe_y wires were fine-grained and brittle, often fracturing during the liftoff process. By contrast, wires containing less than 5% Te are smooth, and strong enough to support their own weight without a supporting medium for a length of over 100 times the wire diameter.