X.W. Zhao

Growth of ZnO hexagonal nanoprisms

We show the success of large-scale growth of ZnO hexagonal nanoprisms on silicon substrates by a two-staged mechanism. In the first stage, the catalyst nanoparticles assisted the nucleation via the vapour–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism to form polyhedral nanoparticles. In the second stage, the nanoprism was grown up by anisotropic homoepitaxy, layer by layer, on the c-face of the polyhedral nanoparticle. The surface of the nanoprism consists of the ultraflat {0001} and planes. The nanoprism is 200–500 nm in width and controllably sized in length, of high crystalline quality and excellent optical quality. This nanoprism would be an interesting building block for highly efficient nanolasers.

The effect of diffusion on formation of self-assembled CdSe quantum dots

The effect of diffusion on formation of self-assembled CdSe quantum dots (SAQDs) was studied in this paper. Two kinds of diffusion were observed during the growth of CdSe layer. Surface diffusion was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Interdiffusion was verified by the photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray diffraction measurement. The surface diffusion might help to form quantum dots. However, the interdiffusion could prevent the formation of quantum dots.