The mechanism of ZnO nanorod growth by vapor phase transportation

We studied a kinetic model of the ZnO nanorod (NR) growth that occurs via vapor phase transportation (VPT). The mechanism of ZnO NR growth was discussed in terms of the length-to-diameter (L–D) relationship of NRs, and it was confirmed by varying both the type of catalyst and source material used. Both theoretical calculations and experimental data indicated that elongation of NRs is primarily determined by diffusion of the absorbed atoms (adatoms) within a nominal migration length on the surface, which is not considered in the simple vapor–liquid–solid model.