Synthesis and electrical properties of single crystalline CrSi2 nanowires

Free-standing CrSi2 nanowires are synthesized by a vapor transport based method for the first time. High-quality CrSi2 nanowires with a hexagonal cross section are produced by the reaction of a CrCl2 precursor and a Si substrate without using any metal catalyst. We have studied the crystal structure and electrical transport properties of CrSi2 nanowires. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies confirm the single-crystalline nature of the CrSi2 nanowires of a C40 type structure. Four-probe devices were fabricated by the focused ion beam equipped with a nanomanipulator. Measured resistivity of the nanowire is 0.012 Omega center dot cm, which is close to that of bulk single-crystalline CrSi2close444