• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.609-616
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• 2017

We investigated a Leidenfrost effect in the growth of ZnO nanostructures on silicon substrates by ultrasonic-assisted spray pyrolysis deposition(SPD). Structural and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures grown by varying the growth parameters, such as substrate temperature, source concentration, and suction rate of the mist in the chambers, were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectrum analysis. Structural investigations of the ZnO nanostructures showed abnormal evolution of the morphologies with variation of the substrate temperatures. The shape of the ZnO nanostructures transformed from nanoplate, nanorod, nanopencil, and nanoprism shapes with increasing of the substrate temperature from 250 to $450^{\circ}C$; these shapes were significantly different from those seen for the conventional growth mechanisms in SPD. The observed growth behavior showed that a Leidenfrost effect dominantly affected the growth mechanism of the ZnO nanostructures.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Star-like ZnO nanostructures were grown on SI(100) substrates with carbon(C) catalyst by employing vapor-solid(VS) mechanism. The morphologies and structure of ZnO nanostructures were investigated by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum, Photoluminescence spectrum. The results demonstrated that the as-synthesized products consisted of star-like ZnO nanostructure with hexagonal wurtzite phase. Nanostructures grown at 1100 were mainly star-like in structure with diameters of 500 nm. The legs of the star-like nanostructures were preferentially grown up along the [0001] direction. A vapor.solid (VS) growth mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of the star-like structures. Photoluminescence spectrum exhibited a narrow emission band peak around 380 nm and a broad one around 491 nm. Raman spectrum of the ZnO nanostructures showed oxygen defects in ZnO nanostructures due to the existence of Ar gas during the growth process, leading to the dominant green band peak in the PL spectrum.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.43-58
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• 2013

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a unique semiconductor material that exhibits numerous useful properties for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and other applications. Various thin-film growth techniques have been used to produce nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, nanotips, nanosheets, nanobelts and terapods of ZnO. These unique nanostructures unambiguously demonstrate that ZnO probably has the richest family of nanostructures among all materials, both in structures and in properties. The nanostructures could have novel applications in solar cells, optoelectronics, sensors, transducers and biomedical sciences. This article reviews the various nanostructures of ZnO grown by various techniques and their application in DSSCs. The application of ZnO nanowires, nanorods in DSSCs became outstanding, providing a direct pathway to the anode for photo-generated electrons thereby suppressing carrier recombination. This is a novel characteristic which increases the efficiency of ZnO based dye-sensitized solar cells.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.270-275
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• 2016

We report on an all-solution-processed hydrothermal method to control the morphology of ZnO nanostructures on Si substrates from three-dimensional hemispherical structures to two-dimensional thin film layers, by controlling the seed layer and the molar contents of surfactants during their primary growth. The size and the density of the seed layer, which is composed of ZnO nanodots, change with variation in the solute concentration. The ZnO nanodots act as heterogeneous nucleation sites for the main ZnO nanostructures. When the seed layer concentration is increased, the ZnO nanostructures change from a hemispherical shape to a thin film structure, formed by densely packed ZnO hemispheres. In addition, the morphology of the ZnO layer is systematically controlled by using trisodium citrate, which acts as a surfactant to enhance the lateral growth of ZnO crystals rather than a preferential one-dimensional growth along the c-direction. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results reveal that the ZnO structure is wurtzite and did not incorporate any impurities from the surfactants used in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2012.11a
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• pp.127-128
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• 2012

ZnO nanostructures were grown by the hydrothermal method on ZnO seed layers post-heated in the range $350-500^{\circ}C$. The effects of the post-heated ZnO seed layers on the structural and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The average grain sizes in the ZnO seed layers increased with increasing post-heating temperature, and nano-fibrous structures were observed on the surface of the ZnO seed layers post-heated at $450^{\circ}C$. The ZnO seed layers post-heated in the range $350-500^{\circ}C$ affected the residual stress, lattice distortion in the ZnO nanostructures and the intensity, positions, and full widths at half maximum of the 2-theta and PL peaks in the XRD and PL spectra for the ZnO nanostructures.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.59-70
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• 2013

ZnO nanostructures of rod-like, faceted bar, cup-end bars, and spindle shaped morphologies could be grown by a low power ultrasonic synthesis process. pH of the reaction mixture seems to plays an important role for defining the final morphology of ZnO nanostructures. While the solution pH as low as 7 produces long, uniform rod-like nanostructures of mixed phase (ZnO and $Zn(OH)_2$), higher pH of the reaction mixture produces ZnO nanostructures of different morphologies in pure hexagonal wurtzite phase. pH of the reaction as high as 10 produces bar shaped uniform nanostructures with lower specific surface area and lower surface and lattice defects, reducing the defect emissions of ZnO in the visible region of their photoluminescence spectra.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.599-602
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• 2008

Growth of well-aligned ZnO nanostructures on various substrates such as GaN, ITO/glass, and sapphire was realized via a simple aqueous solution method at low temperature of $90^{\circ}C$. Morphology of ZnO nanostructures grown on various substrates as function of substrate was studied. It was found that ZnO nanostructures is a strong function of substrate. It was clearly observed that the morphology of ZnO nanostructures could be varied by change of substrate. Morphology, crystallinity, and crystal characteristics were carried out by FE-SEM, synchrotron x-ray scattering measurements, and high-resolution electron microscopy, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.873-877
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• 2012

The effect of oxygen pressure in the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures through thermal evaporation of Zn powder was investigated. The thermal evaporation process was carried out in oxygen ambient for 1 hr at $1,000^{\circ}C$ under different pressures. The oxygen pressure was changed in range of 0.5 ~ 900 Torr. Any nanostructure was not formed on the specimens prepared at oxygen pressures lower than 10 Torr. When oxygen pressure was 100 Torr, ZnO nanowires were observed. With increasing the oxygen pressure to 500 Torr, the morphology of ZnO nanostructures changed from wire to tetrapod. For all the samples, room temperature photoluminescence spectra show a strong green emission peak at around 550 nm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.415-415
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• 2012

ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a vapor phase transport process in a single-zone furnace within a horizontal quartz tube with an inner diameter of 38 mm and a length of 485 mm. The ZnO nanostructures were grown on Au-catalyzed Si(100) substrates by using a mixture of zinc oxide and graphite powders. The growth of ZnO nanostructures was conducted at $800^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. High-purity Ar and $O_2$ gases were pushed through the quartz tube during the process at a flow rate of 100 and 10 sccm, respectively. The sequence of ON/OFF cycles of the Ar gas flow was repeated, while the $O_2$ flow is kept constant during the growth time. The Ar gas flow was ON for 1 min/cycle and that was OFF for 2 min/cycle. The structure and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, temperature-dependent photoluminescence. The preferred orientation of the ZnO nanostructures was along c-axis with hexagonal wurtzite structure.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.605-611
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• 2012

ZnO nanostructures were grown on R-plane sapphire substrates with seed layers annealed at different temperatures ranging from 600 to $800^{\circ}C$. The properties of the ZnO nanostructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectrophotometer, and photoluminescence. For the as-prepared seed layers, ZnO nanorods and ZnO nanosheets were observed. However, only ZnO nanorods were grown when the annealing temperature was above $700^{\circ}C$. The crystal qualities of the ZnO nanostructures were enhanced when the seed layers were annealed at $700^{\circ}C$. In addition, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of near-band-edge emission (NBE) peak was decreased from 139 to 129 meV by increasing the annealing temperature to $700^{\circ}C$. However, the FWHM was slightly increased again by a further increase in the annealing temperature. Optical transmittance in the UV region was almost zero, while that in the visible region was gradually increased as the annealing temperature increased to $700^{\circ}C$. The optical band gap of the ZnO nanostructures was increased as the annealing temperature increased to $700^{\circ}C$. It is found that the optical properties as well as the structural properties of the rod-shaped ZnO nanostructures grown on R-plane sapphire substrates by hydrothermal method are improved when the seed layers are annealed at $700^{\circ}C$.