Selective growth and piezoelectric properties of highly ordered arrays of vertical ZnO nanowires on ultrathin alumina membranes

Wen LY, Shao ZZ, Fang YG, Wong KM, Lei Y, Bian LF, Wilde G

Abstract

A well controlled and cost effective method of fabricating highly ordered arrays of vertical zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires or nanopores is demonstrated where an ultrathin alumina membrane (UTAM) itself is utilized as a substrate for the selective growth of the ordered arrays. A thin film of gold was thermally evaporated on the UTAM followed by the growth of highly regular ZnO nanowires using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Alternatively, highly ordered ZnO nanopores arrays were also grown by CVD on the bare UTAM. Additionally, piezoelectric currents were generated from the ZnO nanowires during the conductive atomic force microscopy probe tip scan across the array. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3474615]