Synthesis and properties of Pr3+-doped ZnO nanowires

Abstract

Well-aligned Pr3+-doped ZnO nanowires (NWs) were obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method without catalysts on silicon substrates by vapor-solid process. The length and diameter of ZnO NWs were 1–2 μm and 50–100 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize the obtained Pr3+-doped ZnO nanowires. The concentration of dopant in the synthesized nanowires was 0.7 at %, according to EDX measurements. XPS was also used to characterize the samples and to confirm their composition. Pr3+-doped ZnO sensors were fabricated using a focused ion beam (FIB) with Au/Ti electrodes. A nanosensor is invented from an individual zinc oxide nanowire (80 nm in diameter). Response characteristics of the single nanowire towards dinitrogen monoxide (N2O), hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3) were examined at room temperature at different concentrations of gases.