Size-controlled growth of ZnO nanowires by catalyst-free high-pressure pulsed laser deposition and their optical properties

Single crystalline ZnO nanowires were fabricated on Si (100) substrates by catalyst-free high-pressure pulsed laser deposition. It is found that the nanowires start to form when the substrate temperature and growth pressure exceed the critical values of 700 oC and 700 Pa, and their size strongly depends on these growth conditions. That is, the aspect ratio of the nanowires decreases with increasing temperature or decreasing pressure. Such a size dependence on growth conditions was discussed in terms of surface migration and scattering of ablated atoms. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum of ZnO nanowires shows a dominant near-band-edge emission peak at 3.28 eV and a visible emission band centered at 2.39 eV. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence studies reveal that the former consists of the acceptor-bound exciton and free exciton emissions; while the latter varies in intensity with the aspect ratio of the nanowires and is attributed to the surface-mediated deep level emission