Abstract
This review presents recent research advances in measuring native point defects in ZnO nanostructures, establishing how these defects affect nanoscale electronic properties, and developing new techniques to manipulate these defects to control nano- and micro- wire electronic properties. From spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, we now know that electrically-active native point defects are present inside, as well as at the surfaces of, ZnO and other semiconductor nanostructures. These defects within nanowires and at their metal interfaces can dominate electrical contact properties, yet they are sensitive to manipulation by chemical interactions, energy beams, as well as applied electrical fields. Non-uniform defect distributions are common among semiconductors, and their effects are magnified in semiconductor nanostructures so that their electronic effects are significant. The ability to measure native point defects directly on a nanoscale and manipulate their spatial distributions by multiple techniques presents exciting possibilities for future ZnO nanoscale electronics.
Highlights
ZnO research has expanded considerably in the past few years as its outstanding optoelectric [1], microelectronic [2], and piezoelectric [3] properties have become apparent [4,5,6,7]
The of ZnO, ZnO,as aswell wellasasthose those other semiconductor nanostructures, The electronic electronic properties properties of of of other semiconductor nanostructures, are are relatively unexplored due to the challenges posed by their sensitivity to ambient atmosphere, relatively unexplored due to the challenges posed by their sensitivity to ambient atmosphere, illumination, andphysical physicalsize
Defects can strongly affect the electronic behavior of semiconductor nanostructures, depending on Defects can strongly affect the electronic behavior of semiconductor nanostructures, depending their physical nature, density, and spatial distribution
Summary
ZnO research has expanded considerably in the past few years as its outstanding optoelectric [1], microelectronic [2], and piezoelectric [3] properties have become apparent [4,5,6,7]. ZnO nanostructures are a rapidly growing component of ZnO papers overall, with over 5000 publications in just the past 5 years due to the relative ease of growth and numerous applications of Materials 2019, 12, 2242; doi:10.3390/ma12142242 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials. ZnO nanostructures are a rapidly growing component of ZnO papers overall, with over 5000 publications in just the past 5 years due to the relative ease of growth and numerous applications the materials in microelectronics, photonics, and sensing [11,12]. Of ZnO nanowires not on justtheir on have shown shown that native thethe nanowires andand not just their surfaces [15,16]. Section shows how distribute these defects distribute inside while nanostructures, while how these distributions alter electronic properties. Examples ofdefects manipulating native point defects to control electronic properties
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