Persistent photoconductivity in ZnO nanorods deposited on electro-deposited seed layers of ZnO

Arrays of standing nanorods of ZnO were successfully grown on indium tin oxide coated quartz substrates by an inexpensive aqueous chemical growth technique. The electrical properties of individual nanorod were investigated with the conducting tip of an atomic force microscope. The effect of ultraviolet irradiation on the conductivity of single nanorods was investigated. We observed a persistency of the photoconductivity, most probably ascribable to the oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanorods.