Growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods on various substrates by hydrothermal method

ZnO has great potential in a wide range of applications such as microelectronics, optoelectronics, and sensors. Hydrothermal method has proven to be an effective method for the growth of nanostructured materials. Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on various substrates such as glass and Si by low temperature hydrothermal method using ZnO as the seed layer. The thin seed layer on various substrates was deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. The morphology of the ZnO nanorods can be tuned by varying the sputtering conditions and hydrothermal parameters. Scanning electron microscopy images confirm the formation of vertically aligned nanorods and XRD pattern shows the formation of wurtzite structure of ZnO. The sharp (0002) peak in the XRD spectra indicates that the synthesized nanorods are single crystalline, grown along the [0001] direction. These ZnO nanostructures can be considered as a potential candidate for sensor and nanowire transistor applications.