Synthesis and electronic transport studies of CdO nanoneedles

Single-crystalline, needle-shaped CdO nanostructures were synthesized using a chemical vapor deposition method and characterized using a variety of techniques. Devices consisting of individual CdO nanoneedles were fabricated and high conductance as well as high carrier concentrations was observed. The temperature dependence of the conductance revealed thermal excitation as the dominating transport mechanism. Our devices exhibited good sensitivity to both infrared light and diluted NO2 gas, indicating potential applications as infrared photodetectors and toxic gas sensors. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.