Synthesis and characterization of Cu-doped ZnO nanorods chemically grown on flexible substrate

•Vertically Cu-doped ZnO nanorods were grown on PEN substrate using CBD method.•The XRD result of the Cu-doped ZnO nanorods indicates better crystal quality.•The average diameter of undoped and Cu-doped ZnO nanorods was 66 nm and 124 nm.•PL spectra displayed increased (decreased) intensity in UV peak (visible peak) after Cu doping.

Vertically aligned undoped and Cu-doped ZnO nanorods array were successfully grown on flexible substrate by chemical bath deposition method at a low 0074emperature. The fabricated materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. XRD analysis showed that Cu doping improves the crystallinity of the fabricated ZnO nanorods. The mean diameter and bending of the ZnO nanorods increase with an increase of Cu doping, but the density of Cu-doped ZnO nanorods almost unchanged. Room temperature PL measurement displayed increased intensity in UV peak and decreased visible peak after Cu doping.