Facile fabrication of large-scale patterned ZnO nanorod arrays with tunable arrangement, period and morphology

Application-oriented nanomaterial design and fabrication are highly necessary and are turning into a new trend nowadays. In this paper, large-scale patterned ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) with tunable arrangement, period and morphology are designed and fabricated via two-beam laser interference lithography and hydrothermal synthesis, through changing the buffer layer, photoresist (PR) template and growth conditions. The growth behavior, crystal structures and optical properties of patterned ZnO NRAs grown on a single-crystalline GaN film and a polycrystalline ZnO seed layer are studied. Furthermore, the relationship between the orientation of the PR template and the morphology of the corresponding ZnO NRAs is investigated. This study will benefit a deeper understanding of the rules of patterned growth of ZnO NRAs, further enhancing the controllability of arrangement, density and morphology of the patterned ZnO NRAs, and finally accelerating the process of integration and optimization of related functional nanodevices and nanosystems.