Annealing effects of seed layers on the properties of ZnO nanorods

Abstract

We investigated annealing effects of seed layers on the properties of ZnO nanorods grown on the seed layers. ZnO nanorods were grown by a hydrothermal method. ~100 nm-thick ZnO films were sputtered on oxidized Si wafers and quartz as seed layers. The ZnO films were annealed at 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C, respectively. ZnO nanorods were grown at 90 °C for 3 hours in the mixed solution of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamethylenetetramine. X-ray diffraction was carried out to estimate the crystallinity and strain of ZnO films and nanorods. A field emission scanning electron microscope was employed to observe the morphology of the films and nanorods. PL(photoluminescence) measurements were conducted with 266 nm light. It was found that the annealing of seed layers increase the growth rate of nanorods, and change compressive strain of nanorods to tensile strain. The intensity of PL in the UV region reduced by using the annealed seed layers. Copyright ? The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers.