Synthesis and photoluminescence of Sb-induced ZnO nanowires along [0 1¯ 1 1] with islands attached

ZnO nanowires with nanoislands attached are synthesized by thermal evaporation process using Sb as dopant. The electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy show that the nanowires grow along [0 1¯ 1 1] with ±(1 0 1¯ 1) as side surfaces. The nanoislands are composed of SiOx shelled ZnO clusters and attached to polar surface (1 0 1¯ 1). We believe that the Sb dopant induces the growth along the distinct direction and leads the formation of additional structures on ZnO nanowires’ polar surface. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence confirms the existence of acceptor level related to Sb.