Position-controlled seedless growth of ZnO nanorod arrays on a polymer substrate via wet chemical synthesis

A novel wet chemical technique for the site-selective growth of ZnO nanorod arrays on polymer substrates is described. Electron beam lithography is employed to define nanorod positions using a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) mask on a Kapton polyimide substrate with a Au intermediate layer. An applied potential is utilized to enhance the nucleation process and achieve ZnO nanorods with a base diameter of 200 nm. The technique does not require a ZnO seed layer and can be carried out at temperatures as low as 70 degrees C. Structural characterization of the as-grown ZnO nanorods has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This technique represents a new low-cost method for integrating ZnO nanorods into flexible electronic devices.