Local electronic structure of ZnO nanorods grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

We report the structural properties and local electronic structure of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods fabricated on silicon substrate without external catalyst by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction and morphological studies reveal the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with preferential orientation along the (002) crystallographic plane and vertical alignment of the ZnO nanorods. Angle dependent X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy measurements of the vertically aligned ZnO nanorods at O K and Zn L-edges divulge that the tip and side wall surfaces of the nanorods are terminated by the oxygen and zinc ions respectively. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.