Exfoliation and Characterization of Bismuth Telluride Atomic Quintuples and Quasi-Two-Dimensional Crystals

Abstract

Bismuth telluride (Bi(2)Te(3)) and its alloys are the best bulk thermoelectric materials known today. In addition, stacked quasi-two-dimensional (2D) layers of Bi(2)Te(3) were recently identified as promising topological insulators. In this Letter we describe a method for "graphene-inspired" exfoliation of crystalline bismuth telluride films with a thickness of a few atoms. The atomically thin films were suspended across trenches in Si/SiO(2) substrates, and subjected to detail material characterization, which included atomic force microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The presence of the van der Waals gaps allowed us to disassemble Bi(2)Te(3) crystal into its quintuple building blocks-five monatomic sheets-consisting of Te((1))-Bi-Te((2))-Bi-Te((1)). By altering the thickness and sequence of atomic planes, we were able to create "designer" nonstoichiometric quasi-2D crystalline films, change their composition and doping, the type of charge carriers as well as other properties. The exfoliated quintuples and ultrathin films have low thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity, and enhanced thermoelectric properties. The obtained results pave the way for producing stacks of crystalline bismuth telluride quantum wells with the strong spatial confinement of charge carriers and acoustic phonons, beneficial for thermoelectric devices. The developed technology for producing free-standing quasi-2D layers of Te((1))-Bi-Te((2))-Bi-Te((1)) creates an impetus for investigation of the topological insulators and their possible practical applications.