Surface-mediated structural transformation in CdTe nanoparticles dispersed in $SiO2$ thin films

Cadmium telluride nanoparticles dispersed in silicon dioxide thin films have been grown by magnetron sputtering technique followed by thermal annealing. The effect of thermal annealing conditions on the structure of the surface layer and the nanoparticle core has been studied. A structural transformation in the nanoparticle core mediated solely by surface effects has been observed for the first time in any nanoparticle system. The presence of a crystalline cadmium tellurium oxide layer modifies the crystal structure of the cadmium telluride nanoparticle core by introducing a large concentration of stacking faults.