Ultraviolet photodetection properties of indium oxide nanowires

Photoconducting properties of In₂O₃ nanowires were studied. Devices based on individual In₂O₃ nanowires showed a substantial increase in conductance of up to four orders of magnitude upon exposure to UV light. Such devices also exhibited short response times and significant shifts in the threshold gate voltage. The sensitivity to UV of different wavelengths was studied and compared. We have further demonstrated the use of UV light as a “gas cleanser” for In₂O₃ nanowire chemical sensors, leading to a recovery time as short as 80 s. Received: 8 January 2003 / Accepted: 9 January 2003 / Published online: 28 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-213/740-8677, E-mail: chongwuz@usc.edu     

氧化锌纳米线的场发射

热蒸发法在硅基底上制备了任意取向的氧化锌纳米线阵列。经过热蒸发过程，硅基底表面覆盖了大量均匀分布的氧化锌岛，在这些岛上生长出了直径为几十纳米的非定向纳米线。出于实用考虑，基底周围的温度在制备过程中保持在500°C以下。从这些氧化锌纳米线获得了场发射。测得10μA/cm2所对应的开启场强为3.0V/μm。并且用透明阳极技术研究了发射中心分布。观察到场发射来自于整个样品表面。从这些结果可以看出氧化锌纳米线在平板显示器中有着巨大的应用潜力.     

Thermal evaporation synthesis of zinc oxide nanowires

High quality ZnO nanowires were synthesized at high temperature without using heterogenous catalysts. The nanowires had a uniform prismatic shape and were grown in a cacti-like morphology. Characterizations of the products by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that the ZnO nanowires were single crystalline and of high purity. An intensive exciton emission was observed around 3.25 eV from the ZnO nanowires at room temperature. The growth mechanism was discussed based on the experimental conditions and the ZnO crystal growth habits. This growth method can be used to prepare other metal oxide nanowires. PACS 61.46.+w; 81.16.-c; 81.07.De, 81.05.Hd     

Sol-flame synthesis of hybrid metal oxide nanowires

Hybrid metal oxide nanowires (NWs), with small characteristic diameter and large aspect ratio, can have unique and yet tunable chemical, optical and electrical properties by independently controlling the chemical compositions and morphologies of the individual components. Such hybrid NWs are promising building blocks in many applications, such as catalysis, sensors, batteries, solar cells and photoelectrochemical devices. However, these applications are hindered by the lack of scalable and economic methods for the synthesis of hybrid NWs. Here, we report a simple, scalable and new sol-flame method to synthesize various hybrid metal oxide NWs, including nanoparticle-shell decorated NWs (NP-shell@NW), NP-chain decorated NW (NP-chain@NW) and doped NWs. The sol-flame process first coats existing NWs with NPs or dopants precursors prepared by the sol–gel process, and then dissociates/oxidizes these precursors in flame. The sol-flame method uniquely combines the merits of the flame process (e.g., high temperature and fast heating rate) with low temperature sol–gel method (e.g., broad material choices and excellent chemical composition control). For both the NP-shell@NW and NP-chain@NW cases, the high temperature flame, compared to furnace, provides much faster heating rate and shorter duration for annealing, which evaporates and burns the precursor solvent rapidly, causing NPs to quickly nucleate around NWs without significant agglomeration. Hence, higher loading density of NPs with smaller sizes is decorated to the NWs, and the formed hybrid NP@NW exhibits significantly higher catalytic activity than that of the furnace-annealed sample. Similarly when using the sol-flame method to dope NWs, the high temperature flame enables rapid dopant diffusion and short annealing duration that maintains the morphology of the original materials and protects the delicate NW substrates from damage. We believe that the new sol-flame method can be applied to synthesize various 1-D hybrid metal oxide nanostructures, thereby impacting diverse application fields.     

Microstructural and optical properties of europium-doped zinc oxide nanowires

Single-crystal Eu³⁺-doped wurtzite ZnO micro- and nanowires were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The nanostructures grew via a self-catalytic mechanism on the walls of an alumina boat. The structure and properties of the doped ZnO were characterized using X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) methods. A 10-min synthesis yielded vertically grown nanowires of 50–400 nm in diameter and several micrometers long. The nanowires grew along the ±[0001] direction. The Eu³⁺ concentration in the nanowires was 0.8 at.%. The crystal structure and microstructure of were compared for Eu³⁺-doped and undoped ZnO. PL spectra showed a red shift in emission for Eu³⁺-doped (2.02 eV) compared to undoped ZnO nanowires (2.37 eV) due to Eu³⁺ intraionic transitions. Diffuse reflectance spectra revealed widening of the optical bandgap by 0.12 eV for Eu³⁺-doped compared to undoped ZnO to yield a value of 3.31 eV. Fourier-transform infrared spectra confirmed the presence of europium in the ZnO nanowires.     

氧化锌纳米线的紫外光耦合增强场电子发射特性

本文采用热化学气相沉积方法制备氧化锌纳米线阵列, 研究氧化锌纳米线阵列在紫外光辐照下的场电子发射特性. 实验结果表明, 在紫外光辐照下, 氧化锌纳米线场发射开启电压降低, 发射电流明显增大. 机理分析认为, 氧化锌纳米线紫外光增强的场发射源自场电子发射与半导体耦合作用, 紫外光激发价带电子跃迁到导带和缺陷能级使发射电子数量增加, 同时, 光生电子发射降低了发射材料表面的有效功函数, 从而显著增强场电子发射性能. 氧化锌纳米线具有紫外光耦合增强场电子发射特性, 在光传感、冷阴极平板显示和场发射电子源等方面具有潜在的应用价值.     

Growth, morphology and optical properties of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum/zinc oxide hybrid nanowires

Hybrid tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum/zinc oxide (Alq₃/ZnO) nanowires were successfully grown from a one-step solution method at very low temperature. The transformation of amorphous Alq₃ into α-phase crystalline nanowires was achieved by incorporating a certain weight fraction of crystalline ZnO nanomaterials. A growth mechanism was proposed to validate the formation of crystalline Alq₃-ZnO hybrid nanowires with the help of nucleation initiated by the ZnO nanomaterials, followed by Alq₃ molecular aggregation. Effects of temperature on the evolution of morphologies of hybrid nanowires were examined by the field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of hybrid nanowires showed a significant threefold enhancement in PL intensity, along with a slight blue-shift emission, when compared to the pure Alq₃ molecules, which were attributed due to the incorporation of crystalline ZnO nanomaterials and also the shielding effect of ZnO nanomaterials to avoid the excimer formation between the Alq₃ molecules in the excited state.     

Investigation of electrical and optoelectronic properties of zinc oxide nanowires

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires have been synthesized by using tubular furnace chemical vapor deposition technique. The morphology, chemical composition and crystal structure of as-synthesized ZnO nanowires were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Four-terminal current-voltage (I-V) measurements were employed to study the electrical conductance of ZnO nanowires under various testing gas environments for gas sensing purpose. The I-V curves at temperature ranging from 150 to 300 K were recorded in the testing chamber under vacuum. The Arrhenius plot shows perfect linear relationship between the logarithm of the current I and inverse temperature 1/T. The donor level of the semiconducting nanowires is about 326 meV. The I-V behaviors were found to be reversible and repeatable with testing gases. The electrical conductivity was enhanced by a factor of four with ambient CO gas compared to that in vacuum and other testing gases. The optoelectronic properties of the ZnO nanowires were obtained by two-terminal I-V measurement method while the nanowires were illuminated by a ruby laser. The electrical conductivity was increased by 60% when the laser was present in comparison to that when the laser was off. Those significant changes suggest that nano-devices constructed by the ZnO nanowires could be used in gas sensing and optical switching applications.     

Eshelby twist and magic helical zinc oxide nanowires and nanotubes

Twisted zinc oxide nanowires and nanotubes were recently synthesized by screw-dislocation growth. We show theoretically that once their diameter increases above a critical size of the order of a few atomic spacings, the existence of these structures can be rationalized in terms of the energetics of surfaces and veritable Eshelby's twist linear elasticity mechanics supplemented by a nonlinear core term. For Burgers vector larger than the minimum allowed one, a twisted nanotube with well-defined thickness, rather than a nanowire, is the most stable nanostructure. Results are assistive for designing ultrathin nanostructures made out of nonlayered materials.     

Strong violet emission from zinc oxide dumbbell-like microrods and nanowires

ZnO of different morphologies with controlled size and aspect ratio (l/d) such as dumbbell-like microrods, thick nanowires and thin nanowires were prepared by a hydrothermal method. Possible mechanisms for the formation of ZnO crystals with the different morphologies were discussed. Strong violet photoluminescence bands at～413 nm (3.0 eV) without band edge emission were observed from the dumbbell-like ZnO microrods and thick nanowires. Correspondingly, the thin nanowires showed a weak shoulder UV photoluminescence band at～390 nm. Such result indicates that the photoluminescence properties could be improved by the morphologies or aspect ratio (l/d) and the potential fabrication violet-light-emitting devices.     

Fabrication and characterization of graphene oxide/zinc oxide nanorods hybrid

This work presented a hybrid architecture of graphene oxide (GO)/ZnO nanorods (ZNs) with ZNs attached parallel onto GO sheets. ZNs were synthesized by refluxing zinc acetate dehydrate in methanol solution under basic conditions followed by surface modification of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (ATS), and then the preformed ZNs were attached onto GO sheets by reaction of the amino groups on the outer wall of ZNs with the carboxyl groups on the GO surface. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the as-prepared hybrid reveals the morphology of the architecture of GO/ZNs hybrid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy were also performed to characterize the structure and properties of the GO/ZNs hybrid. It was shown that ZNs maintained their initial morphology and crystallinity in the hybrid and the luminescence quenching of yellow-green emission of ZNs confirmed the electron transfer from excited ZnO to GO sheets.     

Piezoelectric power generation from zinc oxide nanowires grown on paper substrate

In this study, we demonstrate piezoelectric power generation from zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires grown on paper substrate. Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires are deflected by an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip in contact mode which generates an output voltage of up to 7 mV. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters mainly influencing the magnitude of the output voltage are discussed. We expect that due to its simplicity, this approach represents an important step within the development of nanoscale power generators. It offers a promising alternative powering source for the next generation of nanodevices on disposable paper. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

铒铥共掺氧化锌薄膜近红外宽带发射及变温行为的研究

采用磁控共溅射技术制备了铒铥共掺杂氧化锌发光薄膜. 通过优化退火温度, 实现了薄膜的近红外 平坦宽带发射, 总带宽可达到~ 500 nm, 覆盖了光通信S+C+L+U 区波段. 此发射带由Er³⁺ 的1535 nm (⁴I_13/2 → ⁴I_15/2) 发射峰及Tm³⁺ 的1460 nm (³H₄ → ³F₄), 1640 nm (¹G₄ → ³F₂), 1740 nm (³F₄ → ³H₆) 发射峰组成. 研究表明: 退火温度低于800 ℃ 时, 没有观察到薄膜样品明显的光致发光现象; 随着退火温度 从800 ℃ 升高到1000 ℃, I₁₆₄₀/I₁₅₃₅ 发射峰强度比从0.2 升高到0.3, I₁₇₄₀/I₁₅₃₅ 发射峰强度比从0.5 降低 到0.4, 发射峰强度比均基本保持稳定; 当退火温度高于1000 ℃ 时, I₁₆₄₀/I₁₅₃₅ 发射峰强度比从0.3 升高到 0.6, I₁₇₄₀/I₁₅₃₅ 发射峰强度比从0.4 升高到0.8, 发射峰强度比均急剧增加. 变温行为表明: 随着温度从10 K 逐渐升高到300 K, 谱线的总带宽基本不变, 在340—360 nm 之间; Tm³⁺ 在1640 和1740 nm 处的发射峰强度 分别降低了2/3 和1/2, Er³⁺ 在1535 nm 的发射峰强度增大了1.2 倍. 这是因为随着温度的升高, 声子数目增 多, Er³⁺ 与Tm³⁺ 离子之间发生能量传递的概率不断变大, 并且在Tm³⁺ 离子之间没有发生交叉弛豫现象.     

Planar sulfur-doped silicon detectors for high-speed infrared thermography

Planar extrinsic sulfur-doped silicon detectors for infrared (IR) semiconductor-discharge gap image converters intended for use in high-speed thermography of remote objects have been developed. The detectors were fabricated by high-temperature diffusion of sulfur into silicon wafers from the vapor phase. The dependence of doping efficiency on the sulfur vapor pressure in the course of diffusion was analyzed. The detector fabrication technology was optimized to meet the specific requirements for their operation in the microdischarge devices considered. The detectors were tested in a laboratory setup comprising a blackbody source of IR light, an image converter, and a pulsed CCD camera for recording the converted images. The converter equipped with the detector can provide imaging of objects heated to a temperature, T_min ≈ 200 °C, with a temporal resolution on the order of 10^?6 s and spatial resolution of about 5 lines/mm.     

Planar infrared binary phase reflectarray

A reflective, binary phase reflectarray is demonstrated in the infrared, at a wavelength of 10.6 microm. The unique aspect of this work, at this frequency band, is that the specific desired phase shift is achieved using an array of subwavelength metallic patches on top of a ground-plane-backed dielectric stand-off layer. This is an alternative to the usual method of constructing a reflective Fresnel zone plate by means of a given thickness of dielectric. This initial demonstration of the reflectarray approach at infrared is significant in that there is inherent flexibility to create a range of phase shifts by varying the dimensions of the patches. This will allow for a multilevel phase distribution, or even a continuous variation of phase, across an optical surface with only two-dimensional lithography, avoiding the need for dielectric height variations.