Hydrothermal Growth and Interface Correlation of Highly Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays on UV-Activated Sol—Gel Transparent Conducting Films.

In this study, aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) transparent conducting films were deposited as seed layers by sol-gel method, followed by UV exposure and subsequent thermal curing at a low temperature of 300°C. Zinc oxide nanorod arrays were then hydrothermally grown on the seed layers at 70°C. By the activation Of UV exposure, the 300°C cured AZO seed layers possessed an obvious crystallinity and a [002] texture. The well-aligned and vertical growth of high density zinc oxide nanorods with a [002] preferred orientation and strong photoluminescence was consequently accomplished on the UV-exposed seed layers. The zinc oxide nanorods were characterized as single crystals of typical wurtzite structure with a (002) lattice spacing of 0.26 nm. Highly [002] textured grains with small-angle misfits of lattice orientations in the UV-exposed seed layers dominated the aligned growth of the nanorod arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]