Substrate-Au catalyst influence on the growth of ZnO nanorods

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. B, Solid-state materials for advanced technology Vol. 172; no. 3; pp. 225 - 230
• Main Authors: Taurino, A., Catalano, M., Cretì, A., Lomascolo, M., Martucci, C., Quaranta, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.09.2010
• Subjects: Alignment; Crystal structure; Deposition; FIB cross-sections; Fixed incidence XRD; Gold; Nanorods; Orientation; Sapphire; Three dimensional; Zinc oxide; ZnO buffer; ZnO nanorods; 78.55.Cr; ZnO nanorods; 68.55.−a; 81.07.−b; 68.37.−d; Fixed incidence XRD; ZnO buffer; FIB cross-sections
• ISSN: 0921-5107; 1873-4944
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mseb.2010.05.021

In this work, the evolution of the Au assisted-growth of ZnO nanorods deposited by vapour phase deposition both on sapphire and on indium–tin–oxide on glass (ITO-glass) substrates has been studied. Our investigation demonstrates that the growth proceeds first as a 3D growth, giving rise to a buffer layer, few microns thick, formed by ZnO grains with different orientation. Then a 1D transition occurs with the nucleation of a dense array of vertically aligned nanorods. A different degree of crystalline order and nanorods alignment was found between the samples grown on ITO-glass and sapphire substrates, which was ascribed to the different morphology that the Au seed layer acquires on the two different substrates. A semi-quantitative analysis of the ZnO crystalline orientation was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements performed at fixed incidence configuration and supported by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) investigations on focused ion beam (FIB) prepared cross-sections.