Low-Temperature Growth of ZnO Nanowire Array by a Simple Physical Vapor-Deposition Method

• Published in: Chemistry of materials Vol. 15; no. 17; pp. 3294 - 3299
• Main Authors: Lyu, Seung Chul, Zhang, Ye, Lee, Cheol Jin, Ruh, Hyun, Lee, Hwack Joo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 26-08-2003
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Inorganic compounds; Ordered structure; Transition element compounds; Fractals; Crystal growth from vapors; Evaporation; Autocatalysis; Experimental study; Zinc oxides; Alignment; Monocrystals; Crystal growth habit; Morphology; Growth mechanism; Physical vapor deposition; Wurtzite structure; Wide band gap semiconductors; Nanowires; Arrays; Nanostructured materials; Low temperature
• ISSN: 0897-4756; 1520-5002
• DOI: 10.1021/cm020465j

Well-aligned single-crystalline wurzite zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire array was successfully fabricated on an Al2O3 substrate by a simple physical vapor-deposition method at a low temperature of 450 °C. The diameter and growth rate of ZnO nanowires increased as a function of growth temperature. TEM observation showed that the ZnO nanowires were synthesized along the c-axial direction of the hexagonal crystal structure. We demonstrate that ZnO nanowires followed the self-catalyzed growth mechanism on the ZnO nuclei. Besides high-quality ZnO nanowires, sometimes a fascinating hierarchically ordered ZnO structure was also observed.