Interparticle heterostructures by spontaneous formation of Dirac nodal arc semimetal PtSn4 domains in nanoparticles produced by Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition

TL;DR

This paper reports the spontaneous formation of ordered PtSn4 intermetallic domains within Sn nanoparticles during Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition, creating heterostructures with potential for studying Dirac nodal arc semimetal transport properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates the in-situ formation of 2D PtSn4 domains inside Sn nanoparticles during gas aggregation, revealing a new method to create interparticle heterostructures with Dirac semimetal characteristics.

Findings

PtSn4 domains precipitate inside Sn nanoparticles below 520°C.

Heterostructures disrupt spherical symmetry of gas aggregation.

Nanoparticles form networks of PtSn4 domains and metallic Sn necks.

Abstract

In this study, we report on the spontaneous formation of highly ordered 2D layered domains of intermetallic phase PtSn4 in Sn nanoparticles of dimensions of the order of 10 nm during the gas aggregation process occurring in Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition. Phase identification is based on High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and on X-ray emission analysis coupled with Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. We propose that PtSn4-ordered domains precipitate inside Sn nanoparticles once the temperature drops below 520{\deg}C upon collisional cooling with room temperature Argon, while the nanoparticles persist longer in a liquid state. Sn matrix eventually solidifies upon the sudden temperature drop due to the supersonic expansion. 2D-layered PtSn4 domains create interparticle heterostructures that disrupt the spherical symmetry typical of gas aggregation processes and separate the Sn particle into distinct parts. The Dirac nodal arc semimetal character of PtSn4 makes it particularly interesting for studying the transport mechanisms in nanogranular films obtained by the soft-assembling of such nanoparticles, which feature a network of heterostructures showing sequences of alternate PtSn4 2D domains and metallic \b{eta}-Sn necks.