Synchrotron fluorescence nanoimaging of a single Co-implanted ZnO nanowire

In this study, we report the application of synchrotron radiation nanoprobe technique to the elemental analysis of single as-grown and Co-implanted ZnO nanowires. The nano-X-ray fluorescence technique enabled us not only to examine the spatial variation of Zn and Co elements, but also to disregard the presence of residual impurities in the nanowires, as well as the detection of Fe and Sn residual impurities in the substrates. Our observations provide strong evidence for the overall elemental uniformity of Zn and Co along the wires, without clustering or segregation effects. Within the nanoprobe spatial resolution, our findings indicate a Co localization within thicker irregularities observed with scanning electron microscopy. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim