Synthesis of crystalline β-FeSi2 under high-temperature and high-pressure

Semiconducting ß-FeSi₂ material has many potential applications in advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, we report for the first time the synthesis of crystalline ß-FeSi₂ via high-temperature and high-pressure reaction of Si and Fe powders. The XRD and Raman scattering results confirm the formation of ß-FeSi₂. The HRTEM images show the existence of two kinds of lattice fringes and the corresponding SAED analysis indicates that ß-FeSi₂ phase exists together with Si component. There are dislocations on the interfaces of ß-FeSi₂/Si.