Synthesis of aligned ZnO nanocolumn arrays by a vapor phase transport method

Abstract

Vertically large-scale aligned ZnO nanocolumn arrays have been synthesized on Si(100) substrate at 550°C via a simple vapor phase transport process in a horizontal chemical vapor depositon (CVD) reactor. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations show that the ZnO nanocolumns have a uniform length of about 3 μm with an average diameter of 80 nm. The clear lattice fringes in HRTEM image indicate the synthesis of good quality hexagonal single crystal ZnO. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) result shows the nanocolumns are c-axis preferentially oriented.