Synthesis and properties of single-crystal β3-Ni3Si nanowires

Single-crystal Ni3Si nanowires were synthesized by a chemical vapor transport method, using iodine as the transport reagent. Structural characterization using powder x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy confirms that the nanowires are the monoclinic β3-Ni3Si phase. Four-terminal electrical measurements show that the single-crystal nanowires have a resistivity of 72 μΩ cm and are capable of supporting a high failure current density about 1.7x107 A/cm2. These unique Ni3Si nanowires are attractive nanoscale building blocks for interconnects and for fully silicided gate application in nanoelectronics