Preparation and characterization of ZnO nanowires

We have successfully synthesized self-organized zinc oxide nanowires on a Cu metalized silicon substrate by a modified reactive evaporation method by using a newly designed substrate holder. Characterizations were carried out by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence measurements. Typical diameter and length of the nanowires obtained were several tens to two hundreds nanometers and up to 10 μm, respectively. It was found that the nanowires grew selectively on Cu underlayers or at pits of substrate. This suggests a possibility of selective-area growth of the nanowires.