Synthesis of ZnO and CuO Nanowires by Thermal Oxidation on Metallic Substrates

Abstract

In this research work, brass (Cu - 37.2 wt% Zn) and Cu (99.9 wt%) wires having diameters of 200 μm were thermally oxidized in N2 containing 5% O2, at a flow rate of 200 sccm and in the ambient atmosphere respectively, to support the growth of nanowires. The oxidation temperature was varied from 300 to 600 °C and the as-grown nanowires were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscope, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results show that ZnO and CuO nanowires are formed on brass and Cu wires, respectively. The ZnO nanowires are branched and CuO nanowires are straight with tapered morphology. ZnO nanowires having hexagonal wurtzite structure grow along the <1 1 0> directions whereas, CuO nanowires have monoclinic structure. A diffusion based stress induced model is proposed to explain the growth mechanism of the nanowires. Thermal oxidation process is a suitable platform for synthesizing ZnO and CuO nanowires, which can be used in in-situ device fabrication.

Creation of One- and Two-Dimensional Copper and Zinc Oxides Semiconductor Structures

“…One of the methods for synthesizing one-dimensional and two-dimensional structures of zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper oxide (CuO) is thermal oxidation [99]. This method is based on the controlled oxidative transformation of corresponding metallic precursors at high temperatures in an oxygen or air atmosphere.…”