Self Assembled ZnO Nanowire Field Effect Transistors

Abstract

Electrodeposition of ZnO from aqueous baths may be employed as a straightforward path in obtaining in a cheap way nanostructures with well tailored morphology. Nanowires are a particular type of nanostructure which can be obtained in this way with or without employing a template. Further these nanowires can be employed as channel in field effect transistors. However the fabrication of such electronic devices based on nanowires is a difficult and time consuming task due to the challenge in providing the nanostructures with electrical contacts. Usually techniques such as electron beam lithography or focused ion beam induced metallization are employed for this goal [1]. We present here an alternative to these approaches in which simple electrodeposition on interdigitated electrodes can lead to the formation of high quality field effect transistors with pure or doped ZnO nanowire channel. The applications of such nanostructure based devices are numerous most being related to sensing applications where one makes use of the high surface to volume ratio and a cheap and easily scalable method of fabrication represents an important advantage.