Chemical vapor deposition of germanium-rich CrGe(x) nanowires

Chemical vapor deposition was applied to synthetize nanostructured deposits containing several sorts of nanoobjects (i.e., nanoballs, irregular particles, and nanowires). Analytical techniques, that is, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive X-ray analysis, selected area electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, showed that unlike nanoballs and particles composed of crystalline germanium, the layer was made of chromium germanide CrGe(x). The nanowires possessed a complex structure, namely a thin crystalline germanium core and amorphous CrGe(x) coating. The composition of the nanowire coating was [Cr]/[Ge] = 1:(6–7). The resistance of the nanowire–deposit system was estimated to be 2.7 kΩ·cm using an unique vacuum contacting system.