Growth of aligned ZnO nanorods and nanopencils on ZnO/Si in aqueous solution: growth mechanism and structural and optical properties

Well-aligned ZnO nanorod and nanopencil arrays were synthesized in a high density on ZnO/Si substrate by a low-temperature aqueous solution technique. Detailed structural characterizations revealed that the as-synthesized nanorods and nanopencils were single crystalline, with a hexagonal phase, and with growth along the [ 0001] direction. The room-temperature photoluminescence spectra showed a strong ultraviolet emission at 381 nm, a weak blue band at 460 nm, and a broad green emission at 580 nm. A detailed growth mechanism has been proposed for the formation of nanorods and nanopencils based on the different crystallographic habits of wurtzite hexagonal ZnO.