Fabrication of free-standing PbSe micro-rods

We have fabricated epitaxially grown PbSe micro-rods by the fold-back action of the thin film and have investigated the experimental factors affecting the size of the micro-rods. We observe that the initial layer thickness and the etching parameters of the sacrificial layer determined the final diameter of the rods. By individually mounting the rods on copper heat sink, we observe an approximately 100 times increase in photoluminescence (PL) intensity per surface area when compared to the bulk film before rolling into micro-rod. These results offer a promising future of microstructures to the technology of mid-infrared light-emitting devices.