Field emission from ZnS nanorods synthesized by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique

The field emission property of zinc sulphides nanorods synthesized in the thin film form on Si substrates has been studied. It is seen that ZnS nanorod thin films showed good field emission properties with a low-macroscopic turn-on field (2.9-6.3 V/μm). ZnS nanorods were synthesized by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering of a polycrystalline prefabricated ZnS target at a relatively higher pressure (10⁻¹ mbar) and at a lower substrate temperature (233-273 K) without using any catalyst. Transmission electron microscopic image showed the formation of ZnS nanorods with high aspect ratio (>60). The field emission data were analysed using Fowler-Nordhiem theory and the nearly straight-line nature of the F-N plots confirmed cold field emission of electrons. It was also found that the turn-on field decreased with the decrease of nanorod's diameters. The optical properties of the ZnS nanorods were also studied. From the measurements of transmittance of the films deposited on glass substrates, the direct allowed bandgap values have been calculated and they were in the range 3.83-4.03 eV. The thickness of the films was ∼600 nm.     

Synthesis of ZnS nanorods by annealing precursor ZnS nanoparticles in NaCl flux

ZnS nanorods were fabricated by annealing precursor ZnS nanoparticles, which were prepared by one-step, solid-state reaction of ZnCl₂ and Na₂S through grinding by hand at ambient temperature, in NaCl flux. The as-prepared ZnS nanorods have diameters of 40-80 nm, and lengths up to several micrometers. The structural features and chemical composition of the nanorods were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Raman spectra.     

Optical inhomogeneity of ZnS films deposited by thermal evaporation

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) films with optical thickness (reference wavelength is 620 nm) ranging from 310 to 1240 nm were deposited on quartz substrates at room temperature by a thermal evaporation system. The structure and morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, respectively. The optical properties of the films were determined by in situ transmittance measurements and wideband spectra photometric measurements, respectively. The experimental results show that the films exhibit cubic structure, and the intensity of the (2 2 0) diffraction peak enhances with the increase of optical thickness. Surface grain size and surface roughness increase monotonously with increasing film thickness. Refractive indices and extinction coefficients calculated by in situ transmittance measurements are well consistent with those calculated by wideband spectra photometric measurements. Both the refractive index and packing density of the film increase as the increase of film thickness, which confirms the film is positive inhomogeneous and has an expanding columnar structure. Extinction coefficients of the films increase with increasing film thickness, which results from the increase of surface roughness.     

Zinc-oxide nanoparticle-based saturable absorber deposited by simple evaporation technique for Q-switched fiber laser

A Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser(EDFL) incorporating zinc-oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles-based saturable absorber(SA) is proposed and demonstrated. To form the SA, the ZnO nanoparticles, which are originally in the powder form, are first dissolved in ethanol and subsequently deposited onto the surface of fiber ferrule by using the adhesion effect with the evaporation technique. By integrating the ZnO nanoparticle-based SA into a laser cavity of an EDFL, a self-started and stable Q-switching is achieved at a low threshold power of 20.24 mW. As the pump power is increased, the pulse repetition rate is tunable from 10.34 kHz to 25.59 kHz while pulse duration decreases from 21.39 μs to 3.65 μs. Additionally,this Q-switched laser has a maximum energy per pulse of 19.34 nJ and an average output power of 0.46 mW. These results indicate the feasibility and functionality of the ZnO nanoparticles-based SA for Q-switched generation, which offers the flexibility and easy integration of the SA into a ring laser cavity.     

Growth of ZnO nanorods by a simple chemical method

ZnO nanorods were grown by a near-room-temperature, simple, chemical solution method on large-area Zn foils and substrate materials such as silicon, and zinc oxide thin films on silicon and glass. Study of the ZnO nanorods on the different substrates by electron microscopy methods shows that the morphology and size of the ZnO nanorods can be tuned varying the growth parameters and the substrates used. The growth mechanism is briefly discussed. Photoluminescence experiments at room temperature reveal a major emission peak of the nanorods at around 385 nm, which is attributed to the band edge transition of ZnO and weaker defect-related visible band peaks. PACS 81.05.Dz; 78.55.Et; 81.07.-b     

Synthesis and optical properties of flower-like ZnO nanorods by thermal evaporation method

Flower-like ZnO nanorods have been synthesized by heating a mixture of ZnO/graphite powders using the thermal evaporation and vapor transport on Si (1 0 0) substrates without any catalyst. The structures, morphologies and optical properties of the products were characterized in detail by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized products consisted of large quantities of flower-like ZnO nanostructures in the form of uniform nanorods. The flower-like ZnO nanorods had high purity and well crystallized wurtzite structure, whose high crystalline quality was proved by Raman spectroscopy. The as-synthesized flower-like ZnO nanorods showed a strong ultraviolet emission at 386 nm and a weak and broad yellow-green emission in visible spectrum in its room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. In addition, the growth mechanism of the flower-like ZnO nanorods was discussed based on the reaction conditions.     

Photoluminescence and field emission of 1D ZnO nanorods fabricated by thermal evaporation

Four kinds of new one-dimensional nanostructures, celery-shaped nanorods, needle-shaped nanorods, twist fold-shaped nanorods, and awl-shaped nanorods of ZnO, have been grown on single silicon substrates by an Au catalyst assisted thermal evaporation of ZnO and active carbon powders. The morphology and structure of the prepared nanorods are determined on the basis of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The photoluminescence spectra (PL) analysis noted that UV emission band is the band-to-band emission peak and the emission bands in the visible range are attributed to the oxygen vacancies, Zn interstitials, or impurities. The field-emission properties of four kinds of ZnO nanorods have been invested and the awl-shaped nanorods of ZnO have preferable characteristics due to the smallest emitter radius on the nanoscale in the tip in comparison with other nanorods. The growth mechanism of the ZnO nanorods can be explained on the basis of the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) processes.     

Facile synthesis and magnetic properties of manganese doped ZnS nanorods

The synthesis of both Mn(II) doped and undoped ZnS nanorods were carried out using a simple soft-chemical route using mercaptoethanol as capping agent. Their morphological, structural and magnetic properties are presented. The crystal structures of the as obtained products were investigated through X-ray diffraction study reveals the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure. The growth of the nanorods is achieved by careful control over the precursor addition, temperature and time duration. The nanorods are single crystalline and the diameter of the rods was found to vary in the range of 20-50 nm. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements at room temperature show paramagnetic behavior for the doped nanorods.     

Structural, electrical and optical properties of ZnS films deposited by close-spaced evaporation

ZnS films have been deposited on glass substrates by close-spaced evaporation (CSE) technique. The films were grown at different temperatures in the range, 200-350 °C. The layers have been characterized with X-ray diffractometer (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) and optical spectrophotometer to evaluate the quality of the layers for photovoltaic applications. The studies showed that the optimum substrate temperature for the growth of ZnS layers was 300 °C. The films grown at these temperatures exhibited cubic structure with nearly stoichiometric composition. The AFM data revealed that the films had nano-sized grains with a grain size of ∼40 nm. The optical studies exhibited direct allowed transition with an energy band gap of 3.61 eV. The other structural and optical parameters such as lattice stress, dislocation density, refractive index and extinction coefficient were also evaluated. The temperature-dependent conductivity measured in the range, 303-523 K showed a change in the conduction mechanism at 120 °C. The activation energy values evaluated using the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity are 7 and 29 meV at low and high temperature regions, respectively.     

UV-activated gas sensing properties of ZnS nanorods functionalized with Pd

Pd-functionalized ZnS nanorods were prepared for use as gas sensors. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the diameters and lengths of the nanorods ranging from 30 to 80 nm and from 2 to 5 μm, respectively. The diameter of Pd nanoparticles ranged from 2 to 5 nm. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that ZnS nanorods and Pd nanoparticles were monocrystalline and amorphous, respectively. The responses of multiple networked ZnS nanorods sensors to 1–5 ppm NO₂ were increased substantially by a combination of Pd functionalization and UV irradiation. Pristine ZnS nanorod sensors at room temperature in the dark showed a response (∼100%) almost independent of NO₂ concentration in a NO₂ concentration range of 1–5 ppm. Pristine ZnS nanorod sensors showed enhanced responses of 214–603% to 1–5 ppm NO₂ at room temperature under UV illumination. Pd-functionalized ZnS nanorods sensors showed further enhanced responses of 355–1511% to 1–5 ppm NO₂ at room temperature under UV illumination. The NO₂ gas sensing mechanism of the Pd-functionalized ZnS nanorods sensors under UV illumination is discussed in depth.     

Synthesis of high-TC ferromagnetic Mn-doped ZnO nanorods by thermal evaporation

This paper reports that a large amount of Mn-doped ZnO nanorods have been synthesized through thermal evaporation. The morphologies and properties are studied with x-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and Raman spectroscope. The results indicate that the manganese atoms occupy the zinc vacancies in the wurtzite lattice of ZnO without forming secondary phases. The exact manganese content has been studied by the x-ray fluorescence spectrum. Meanwhile, the magnetic moment versus temperature result proves that the as-prepared Mn-doped ZnO nanorods show ferromagnetic properties at temperatures as high as 400 K. These studies provide a good understanding of the origin of magnetic properties in diluted magnetic semiconductors.     

真空热蒸发制备CdS/ZnS核/壳异质结纳米线

将传统的真空热蒸发镀膜实验加以改进,先以催化剂辅助蒸发制备出CdS纳米线,再将其作为模板,以ZnS为蒸发源物质,二次蒸发包覆ZnS层,成功制备出大量的CdS/ZnS核/壳异质结纳米线.经X射线衍射、X射线能量色散谱、透射电镜分析表明,所得CdS/ZnS异质结纳米线的核心部分为CdS单晶纳米线,外层为ZnS多晶层.本文的实验方法简便易行,所得纳米结构在光电纳米器件领域有一定应用前景.     

Effect of ZnS shell on the Raman spectra from CdSe nanorods

We investigated the influence of an epitaxially grown ZnS shell on the phonon spectra of CdSe nanorods of different sizes. The CdSe related Raman peaks shift with addition of a ZnS shell. The longitudinal optical phonon shifts slightly due to strain and the low‐energy shoulder shifts stronger, which can be explained within a model for surface optical phonons. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Self-catalytic ZnSe nanorods on grains synthesized using thermal evaporation method

In this paper, ZnSe nanorods grown on in-situ synthesized ZnSe grains are reported. The ZnSe products are synthesized through thermal evaporation of elementary materials of Zn and Se powders in a horizontal resistance furnace. It is interesting to note that the ZnSe nanorods of nearly the same diameter and length are obtained, and they grow in the same direction on a facet of the ZnSe grain. The ZnSe grains are random in shape, with well-defined bounded facets. The ZnSe grains can be synthesized in various growth conditions while the ZnSe nanorods can be synthesized on the ZnSe grains with the fulfillment of the Zn enriched condition. The growth of ZnSe nanorods can be described by the self-catalytic vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism. PACS 73.21.-b; 78.55.Et; 61.10.Nz; 61.46.+w; 68.65.-k     

Formation of dielectric and semiconductor thin films by laser-assisted evaporation

Laser-assisted evaporation is an emerging novel thin film deposition technique. It has been successfully applied to a variety of dielectric and semiconductor materials. Characteristics of the evaporation process and of the evaporants, resulting from the interaction of high power radiation with matter, often result in better structural and chemical properties of the films than can be obtained by conventional evaporative techniques. Congruent evaporation, the presence of energetic vapor species, and precise rate control are important advantageous features of this technique. The physics of laser-induced evaporation and plasma formation, some engineering aspects, and properties of dielectric and semiconductor thin films deposited by this technique are discussed in this review.     

Ultra-sound visualization by a simple technique

This short communication presents experimental evidence that the well known flow birefringence properties of a milling yellow colloidal water solution can be exploited to visualize an ultra-sonic beam propagating in the solution itself.     

射频磁控溅射法制备ZnS多晶薄膜及其性质

实验采用射频磁控溅射法在玻璃衬底上沉积了ZnS多晶薄膜,研究了沉积气压、退火温度和衬底温度对ZnS薄膜质量的影响.利用X射线衍射(XRD)分析了薄膜的微结构,并计算了内应力值.通过紫外-可见光分光光度计测量了薄膜的透过谱,计算了Urbach能量和禁带宽度.利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察了薄膜的表面形貌.结果表明: 衬底温度为室温时沉积的ZnS薄膜具有较大的压应力,并且内应力值随着工作气压增大而增大,在300 ℃下进行退火处理后内应力松弛,衬底温度为350 ℃时制备的ZnS薄膜内应力小,透过率高,经300 ℃退火处理后结晶质量有所提高. 关键词： ZnS薄膜 射频磁控溅射 内应力     

Formation of mismatched layers in pentagonal nanorods

A new mechanism is presented to model the relaxation phenomena in pentagonal nanorods (PNRs) – elongated multiple twinned crystals. It is demonstrated that a shell possessing crystal mismatch with respect to the PNR core region will reduce the internal energy of the PNR associated with wedge disclinations of strength 7°20′ lying along the PNR axis. We predict the existence of an optimal magnitude for core/shell crystal lattice mismatch and an optimal shell thickness providing maximum energy release for this mechanism of mechanical stress relaxation. The considered relaxation mechanism can be realized by the diffusion of impurities in the shell region without change of the PNR radius or by growth of a thin mismatched shell layer with the corresponding thickening of PNR. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spontaneous organisation of ZnS nanoparticles into monocrystalline nanorods with highly enhanced dopant-related emission

A natural self-assembly process of semiconductor nanoparticles leading to the formation of doped, monocrystalline nanorods with highly enhanced dopant-related luminescence properties is reported. ∼4 nm sized, polycrystalline ZnS nanoparticles of zinc-blende (cubic) structure, doped with Cu⁺-Al³⁺ or Mn²⁺ have been aggregated in the aqueous solution and grown into nanorods of length ∼400 nm and aspect ratio ∼12. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images indicate crystal growth mechanisms involving both Ostwald-ripening and particle-to-particle oriented-attachment. Sulphur-sulphur catenation is proposed for the covalent-linkage between the attached particles. The nanorods exhibit self-assembly mediated quenching of the lattice defect-related emission accompanied by multifold enhancement in the dopant-related emission. This study demonstrates that the collective behavior of an ensemble of bare nanoparticles, under natural conditions, can lead to the formation of functionalized (doped) nanorods with enhanced luminescence properties.