Electroluminescence from ZnO nanowires with a p-ZnO film/n-ZnO nanowire homojunction

ZnO homojunction light-emitting diodes based on ZnO nanowires were fabricated on Si(100) substrates. An N–In codoped p-type ZnO film grown by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and an unintentionally doped n-type ZnO nanowire quasi-array grown by an easy low-temperature hydrothermal method were employed to form the homojunction diode. Under a forward bias larger than 8 V, electroluminescence, which was composed of an ultraviolet peak centered at 387 nm and a green band around 540 nm, was observed. The electroluminescence emission was contributed by the ZnO nanowires. The results reported here suggest that ZnO-based ultraviolet light-emitting devices could be realized at low cost. PACS 42.72.Bj; 73.40.Lq; 85.60.Jb