Electrochemical Nucleation and Growth of Antimony Telluride Binary Compound on Gold Substrate

Abstract

The nucleation and growth of SbTe compound on gold substrate has been studied by voltammetric and chronoamperometric methods coupled with quartz microbalance. Direct deposition on transmission microscope grids was performed to determine the compositional evolution of single nuclei. 3D nucleation and growth behaviors were observed for both Te and Sb, despite the presence of underpotential deposition, suggesting a Stranski–Krastanov nucleation mode. Sb deposition follows a progressive nucleation model, whereas Te follows an instantaneous nucleation model. The compound nucleation behavior is found to be influenced more by that of Te, the more noble species, and to proceed more rapidly than either elemental species.