Magnesium Content Ratio Effects of MgxZn1-xO Seed Layers on Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanorods

ZnO nanorods were grown on MgxZn1-xO seed layers with different content ratio ranging from 0 to 0.3 by hydrothermal method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL) were carried out to investigate the effects of Mg content ratio for the MgxZn1-xO seed layers on the structural and optical properties of the ZnO nanorods. The surface morphology and structural properties of the MgxZn1-xO seed layers were changed by the Mg incorporation. However, the appearance, such as density, diameter, and shape, of the ZnO nanorods grown on the MgxZn1-xO seed layers was not changed significantly. The highest intensity ratio of the near-band-edge emission (NBE) to deep-level emission (DLE) and the narrowest full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the NBE peaks, indicating improvement in the crystallinity and luminescent properties of the ZnO crystals, were observed in the ZnO nanorods grown on the MgxZn1-xO seed layers with the content ratio of the 0.05.