Physical vapor transport of Bi2Te3 using elemental Bi and Te sources

A novel procedure to obtain micro and nanocrystals of Bi₂Te₃ is presented. The crystals are obtained by physical vapor transport using Bi and Te as sources. They were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Different kinds of structures as faceted crystals, strips and tubes were found at different temperatures. X-rays diffraction indicated that crystals were oriented with the (001) planes parallel to the surface.