Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Nanowires

Zinc oxide is a wide bandgap (3.37 eV) semiconductor with a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. ZnO prepared in nanowire form may be used as a nanosized ultraviolet light-emitting source. In this study, ZnO nanowires were prepared by vapor-phase transport of Zn vapor onto gold-coated silicon substrates in a tube furnace heated to 900 C. Gold serves as a catalyst to capture Zn vapor during nanowire growth.Size control of ZnO nanowires has been achieved by varying the gold film thickness, using fine gold clusters, or tuning other growth conditions. Nanowire diameters ranging from 20 - 200 nm and lengths between 2 - 40 μm can be made. Structural characterization of the nanowires was mainly performed using powder X-ray diffractometry, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Orientational control of ZnO nanowires can be achieved by growing the nanowires on sapphire substrates. Nearly perfect lattice match between the (002) c-axis growth of ZnO nanowires and the (110) a-plane surface of sapphire substrate allows vertical growth of ZnO nanowires. Fabrication of patterned ZnO nanowire array was then made by patterning the gold layer on the sapphire substrates.Optical characterization of the ZnO nanowires using a He-Cd laser (325 nm) shows that the nanowires possess a strong emission band around 375 - 380 nm. Room temperature power-dependent photoluminescence study using a Nd:YAG laser (266 nm, 3-ns pulse width) shows that the nanowires exhibit lasing emission property. This is the first nanowire system displaying such phenomenon.