Effects of the physical properties of atomic layer deposition grown seeding layers on the preparation of ZnO nanowires

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires are growing in interest as the number of devices for which they are well suited increases. Success in these applications requires defined and controlled geometric incorporation of the wires into the various platforms. Therefore, establishing the ability to tailor the growth ZnO nanowires to produce specified sizes, surface densities, and orientation will be important. In the reported work, the effects of the seeding layer on these factors were accessed. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to produce thin films of ZnO under varying growth and post-processing conditions. These films were fully characterized, including their thickness, surface roughness, and crystalline orientation. Using these well-defined films as the seeding layer, ZnO nanowires were grown and subsequently characterized in terms of morphology and crystalline properties. It was shown that the resulting nanowire properties are dependent upon the nature of the seeding layer, and careful production of the seeding layer allows for some control over these properties.