Individual core-shell structured ZnSnO3 nanowires as photoconductors

Photoconducting properties of individual ZnSnO3 nanowires are investigated by performing transport measurement with UV and green laser illumination on/off circles. ZnSnO3 nanowires are of core-shell structures with the presence of a grain boundary between the inner and outer layer. Upon exposure to UV illumination, the current of one single ZnSnO3 nanowire greatly increases by about three orders of magnitude, from 0.3 to 162 nA. And the conductance increases by a factor of 22 under green laser illumination. Such behaviors are ascribed to that the illuminations adjust the grain boundary barrier. These results demonstrate a promising approach to fabricate nanosized photoconductors and optoelectronic switches. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.