An optimal thermal evaporation synthesis of c-axis oriented ZnO nanowires with excellent UV sensing and emission characteristics

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2016.01.034· OSTI ID:22581535

Saha, Tridib ^[1]; Swamy, Varghese ^[2]; Guo, Ningqun ^[2]

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1. Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 (Malaysia)
2. Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 (Malaysia)

Highlights: • c-Axis alignment of ZnO nanowires was optimized using self-seeding thermal evaporation method. • Influence of purified air on the morphology and optoelectronic properties were studied. • Nanowires grown under optimal conditions exhibit strong UV emission peak in PL spectrum. • Optimized growth condition establish nanowires of excellent UV sensing characteristics - Abstract: Well-aligned (c-axis oriented) ZnO nanowire arrays were successfully synthesized on Si (1 0 0) substrates through an optimized self-seeding thermal evaporation method. An open-ended chemical vapor deposition (CVD) setup was used in the experiment, with argon and purified air as reaction gases. Epitaxial growth of c-axis oriented ZnO nanowires was observed for 5 sccm flow rate of purified air, whereas Zn/Zn suboxide layers and multiple polycrystalline layers of ZnO were obtained for absence and excess of purified air, respectively. Ultraviolet (UV) sensing and emission properties of the as-grown ZnO nanostructures were investigated through the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the nanowires under UV (λ = 365 nm) illumination of 8 mW/cm{sup 2} and using photoluminescence spectra. Nanowires grown under optimum flow of air emitted four times higher intensity of 380 nm UV light as well as exhibited 34 times higher UV radiation sensitivity compared to that of other nanostructures synthesized in this study.

• OSTI ID: 22581535
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 77; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AIR
ARGON
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
EPITAXY
EVAPORATION
MORPHOLOGY
NANOWIRES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
POLYCRYSTALS
SILICON
SUBSTRATES
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VAPORS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ZINC OXIDES