Atomic-force microscopy and photoluminescence of nanostructured CdTe

Low-dimensional CdTe nanorods with a diameter of 10–30 nm and a high aspect ratio that reaches 100 are studied. The nanorods are grown by the physical vapor transport method with the use of Bi precipitates on the substrates. In addition, thin films of closely packed CdTe nanorods with the transverse dimensions ∼(100–200) nm are grown. Atomic-force microscopy shows that the cross sections of all of the nanorods were hexagonally shaped. By photoluminescence measurements, the inference about the wurtzite structure of CdTe is supported, and the structural quality, electron-phonon coupling, and defects are analyzed. On the basis of recent ab initio calculations, the nature of defects responsible for the formation of deep levels in the CdTe layers and bulk crystals are analyzed.