Effects of processing conditions on the evolution of nanostructures in oxide semiconductors

We are reporting the effects of processing conditions on the evolution of various sizes and shapes in the wide bandgap oxide semicondoctors. We synthesized various nanostructures of ZnO and SnO₂, the typical wide bandgap semiconductors for electronics and optoelectronics, based on a simple carbothermal reduction process on an Au-coated silicon substrate. By controlling the processing temperature and the atmosphere systematically, we could obtain various nanostructures such as combs, rods, rod arrays, and sheets in addition to the typical nanowires in ZnO. We also observed that the processing conditions are crucial parameters determining the density and diameter of the nanowires in ZnO and SnO₂.