ZnO nanowire arrays: synthesis, optical and field emission properties

Nanowire arrays of zinc oxide were synthesized on zinc foil by a simple thermal evaporation process. Morphologies and sizes of the synthesized nanostructures were varied by varying the reaction time and the surface roughness of the substrate. Self-catalytic liquid-solid mechanism was proposed for the growth of nanowires. ZnO nanostructures exhibited a strong UV emission at approximately 382 nm attributed to the band edge emission along with a defect related broad green emission at approximately 513 nm. These nanowire arrays exhibits good field emission property.