Large hexagonal arrays of aligned ZnO nanorods

Large-scale truly periodic arrays of vertically aligned zinc oxide nanorods were grown on pre-patterned and pre-annealed gold dots on a-plane sapphire substrates via the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism. Periodic arrays of triangular gold islands were first patterned on the a-plane sapphire substrates by the nanosphere self-assembly technique. Zinc has been found to be an effective interfacial modifier between gold and sapphire to form single catalytic dots from triangular islands. The successful fabrication of zinc oxide nanowires in truly periodic arrays opens up the possibility of achieving enhanced room-temperature ultraviolet lasing and photonic crystal based devices and sensors. PACS 81.07.Bc; 81.10.-h; 81.16.Nd