Room-temperature ultraviolet-emitting In2O3 nanowires

Semiconductor In2O3 nanowires embedded in an alumina template were fabricated using template technology. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations show that the In2O3 nanowire single crystal has an average diameter around 80 nm and a length over 10 mum. A strong photoluminescence (PL) emission with a peak at 398 nm (3.12 eV in photon energy) was detected upon excitation of the In2O3 nanowires at 274 nm (4.53 eV in photon energy) and 305 nm (4.08 eV in photon energy) under room temperature. The observed UV PL emission is attributed to the near band edge emission. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.