Structural and electrical properties of nitrogen-ion implanted ZnO nanorods

This study examined the micro-structural and electrical properties of nitrogen-ion implanted ZnO nanorods. Nitrogen ions (N+s) with energy of 50 keV and beam flux of 1016 particles/cm2 were implanted on vertically-aligned ZnO nanorods. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements showed that N+s were spread uniformly over the nanorods. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements suggested that the implanted N+s had partially substituted for the oxygen sites. The I–V characteristic curves showed that the N+-implanted nanorods were n-type. Moreover, annealing at 800 °C enhanced the charge carrier density in the nanorods by 10-fold, compared to the N+-implanted and unannealed ZnO nanorods.