Effects of Experimental Configuration on the Morphology of Two-Dimensional ZnO Nanostructures Synthesized by Thermal Chemical-Vapor Deposition

Seok Cheol Choi,Sang Ho Sohn,Do Kyung Lee

doi:10.3390/cryst10060517

Seok Cheol Choi, Sang Ho Sohn + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060517

Copy DOI

Abstract

Using two experimental configurations, self-assembled zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures including nanoplates, nanosaws, and nanobelts were synthesized by thermal chemical-vapor deposition (CVD), and their morphological properties were investigated. ZnO nanostructures grown on Au-coated Si substrates in a parallel setup revealed highly defined ZnO nanoplates and branched nanowires. ZnO nanostructures grown in a perpendicular setup using Si substrates with and without the Au catalyst exhibited vertically oriented ZnO nanosaws and randomly aligned nanobelts, respectively. In the thermal CVD method, experiment conditions such as oxygen-flow rate, growth temperature, and catalyst, and experimental configurations (i.e., parallel and perpendicular setups) were important parameters to control the morphologies of two-dimensional ZnO nanostructures showing platelike, sawlike, and beltlike shapes.

Highlights

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted much attention because of its interesting characteristics such as its near-ultraviolet (UV) emission, transparent conductivity, semiconducting property, and piezoelectricity [1,2,3]
We investigated the effects of growth conditions on the morphology of catalyst-mediated ZnO nanostructures synthesized by thermal chemical-vapor deposition (CVD) under different experimental configurations, parallel and perpendicular setups
Nanoplates grown at an Ar/O2 flow rate of 120/0.1 sccm, ZnO nanoplates could have been synthesized by the VS mechanism

Summary

Introduction

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted much attention because of its interesting characteristics such as its near-ultraviolet (UV) emission, transparent conductivity, semiconducting property, and piezoelectricity [1,2,3]. Various methods were developed to synthesize ZnO nanostructures, including thermal chemical-vapor deposition (CVD) [13], metal-organic CVD [14], the solution process [15], molecular beam epitaxy [16], and laser ablation [17]. Among these methods of growing ZnO nanostructures, the thermal CVD method has received great interest because the growth process is relatively simple, Crystals 2020, 10, 517; doi:10.3390/cryst10060517 www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals

Methods

Results

Conclusion