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Optimising the Low Temperature Growth of Uniform ZnO Nanowires

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Nare Gabrielyan ,
Shashi Paul  and
Richard B.M Cross
Nare Gabrielyan
Affiliation:
p0804063x@myemail.dmu.ac.uk, De Montfort University, Emerging Technologies Research Centre, Leicester, United Kingdom
Shashi Paul
Affiliation:
spaul@dmu.ac.uk, De Montfort University, Emerging Technologies Research Centre, Hawthorn Building, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom
Richard B.M Cross
Affiliation:
rcross@dmu.ac.uk, De Montfort University, Emerging Technologies Research Centre, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires have been widely investigated and various different methods of their synthesis have been suggested. This work is devoted to the optimisation of the growth conditions for uniform in terms of structure and evenly distributed ZnO nanowire arrays. The nanowire growth process includes two steps: 1. Radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering of a ZnO nucleation layer onto a substrate; 2. A hydrothermal growth step of ZnO nanowires using the aforementioned sputtered layer as a template. The optimisation process was divided into two sets of experiments: (i) the deposition of different thicknesses of the ZnO nucleation layer and the subsequent nanowire growth step (using the same conditions) for each thickness. The results revealed a strong dependence of the nanowire size upon the seed layer thickness and structural properties; (ii) a second set of experiments were based on growth solution temperature variation for the nucleation layers of the same thicknesses. This also showed nanowire size and distribution change with solution temperature variation.

Keywords

crystal growthII-VInanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1201: Symposium H – Zinc Oxide and Related Materials-2009 , 2009 , 1201-H10-50
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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