Spatially Confined Growth of Tellurium Nanowires with Intrinsic Degeneracy for Anisotropic Electronics

Low-dimensional tellurium (Te) nanostructures have emerged as a compelling platform for next-generation electronics, owing to their unique chain-like chiral lattice and strong intrinsic anisotropy. However, achieving both high crystalline perfection and high intrinsic carrier concentration via a simple, surfactant-free route remains a subject of ongoing exploration. Herein, we report a spatially confined growth (SCG) strategy that yields single-crystalline Te nanowires with long-range order and a high intrinsic hole concentration of ∼4 × 10 17 cm –3 . Governed by a self-limiting ″melting-crystallization″ equilibrium, this method operates under mild conditions and offers a broad processing window of ∼120 °C. The resulting nanowires exhibit degenerate p-type behavior with a high room-temperature hole mobility of ∼500 cm 2 ·V –1 ·s –1 . Magnetotransport measurements reveal strong anisotropy: the magnetoresistance switches from positive to negative as the magnetic field is rotated from perpendicular to parallel relative to the nanowire axis─a signature intimately linked to the chiral chain-like lattice of Te. This work establishes SCG as a reliable route to intrinsically degenerate p-type Te nanostructures that combine high crystalline quality with high intrinsic doping, offering a versatile platform for anisotropic electronics.