Janos Sartor

Ordered n-type ZnO nanorod arrays

Using indium as catalyst for growth and simultaneously as doping source, ordered arrays of n-type ZnO single crystal nanorods have been perpendicularly grown on p-GaN∕Al2O3 substrates with a vapor phase transport growth method. The low temperature photoluminescence measurements of the n-ZnO nanorods show dominant In-related neutral donor bound exciton emission in the ultraviolet region. Electrical transport measurements performed on single n-ZnO nanorods yield resistances of about 50–200kΩ and a typical specific resistivity of 2.0×10−2Ωcm. The resistivity is one order of magnitude reduced by introducing In compared to the nominally undoped ZnO nanorods.

Enhancement of the near-band-edge photoluminescence of ZnO nanowires: Important role of hydrogen incorporation versus plasmon resonances

We investigated the photoluminescence properties of ZnO nanowires coated with Au, Ag, and Pt nanoparticles deposited by dc sputtering. A strong enhancement of the near-band-edge emission was observed in all metal-coated samples but also if the samples were treated with Ar plasma without any nanoparticle deposition. High-resolution photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed hydrogen-donor-bound-exciton emission in all samples indicating unintentional hydrogen incorporation. A shorter decay time of the near-band-edge emission was observed in all cases. The results indicate that unintentional hydrogen incorporation plays a dominant role when metal deposition is performed by sputtering.

Influence of the measurement procedure on the field-effect dependent conductivity of ZnO nanorods

The electrical properties of field-effect transistors fabricated on the basis of single ZnO nanorods were analyzed under ambient conditions and in the chamber of a scanning electron microscope under high-vacuum conditions. Under ambient conditions, the threshold voltage and conductivity may depend strongly on the details of the measurement procedure as the chosen gate voltage range and gate voltage sweep direction. Electron irradiation in a scanning electron microscope under high-vacuum conditions at ∼10−5 mbar leads to desorption of oxygen and other electronegative molecules, which can increase the conductivity by more than two orders of magnitude.

ZnO Nanorod Arrays for Organic Solar Cells

We report on the synthesis and characterization of vapor phase grown zinc oxide nanorod arrays on sputtered aluminum-doped zinc oxide substrates. These arrays can serve as nanostructured electrodes for P3HT:PCBM solar cells, possibly improving their photovoltaic performance.