Mask-free fabrication and chemical vapor deposition synthesis of ultrathin zinc oxide microribbons on Si/SiO2 and 2D substrates

The authors report on fabrication and characterization of thin ZnO microribbons with controlled geometry produced on different substrates via direct-write patterning (DWP) approach. A two-step process was employed to produce controlled patterns of thin ZnO microribbons. DWP of Fe-catalytic ink and subsequent chemical vapor deposition synthesis was utilized in the fabrication of ZnO microribbons. It was found that iron-catalytic ink promoted the formation of ZnO nanostructures at patterned locations. High-quality ZnO microribbons were fabricated with optimized patterning parameters and the growth conditions. The ability to control the geometric dimensions of the thickness of ZnO microribbons on Si/SiO2 was demonstrated through the adjustment of the writing speeds. It was found that higher speed of writing resulted in thinner ZnO microribbons, while slower speeds facilitated the thicker microribbons formation during the growth. Arrays of ZnO microribbons with controlled thicknesses, of 2, 4, and 8 nm, were ...