Abstract
Vertically aligned ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays have been synthesized on silicon substrates by chemical vapor deposition. The growth of ZnO NWs may be dominated by vapor-solid nucleation mechanism. Morphological, structural, optical, and field emission characteristics can be modified by varying the growth time. For growth time that reaches 120 min, the length and diameter of ZnO NWs are 1.5 μm and 350 nm, respectively, and they also show preferential growth orientation along the c-axis. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra exhibit a sharp UV emission and broad green emission, and the enhanced UV-to-green emission ratio with increasing growth time might originate from the reduced concentration of surface defects. Furthermore, strong alignment and uniform distribution of ZnO NWs can also effectively enhance the antireflection to reach the average reflectance of 5.7% in the visible region. The field emission measurement indicated that the growth time plays an important role in density- and morphology-controlled ZnO NWs, and thus, ZnO NWs are expected to be used in versatile optoelectronic devices.
Highlights
Semiconductor one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have been attracting much attention in fundamental research and in potential applications for nanodevices
We report a simple synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) NWs on a silicon substrate using the VS process at a relatively low growth temperature (550°C)
In summary, the vertical arrays of well-aligned c-axis orientation ZnO NWs have been synthesized on silicon substrate by VS growth mechanism at a relatively low growth temperature
Summary
Semiconductor one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have been attracting much attention in fundamental research and in potential applications for nanodevices. ZnO has been expected to be one of the most important optoelectronic materials with piezoelectricity, biocompatibility, wide bandgap (approximately 3.37 eV), and large exciton binding energy (approximately 60 meV) at room temperature [1,2]. Due to their exceptional physical and chemical properties, 1D ZnO nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanowires (NWs), nanotubes, and nanoneedles, are very attractive as well. We report a simple synthesis of ZnO NWs on a silicon substrate using the VS process at a relatively low growth temperature (550°C)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call