Controlled Synthesis and Properties of ZnO Nanostructures Grown by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition: A Review

Abstract

The unique and fascinating properties of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures have triggered tremendous interest in exploring their possibilities for future electronic and photonic device applications. This paper provides current information on the progress of ZnO nanostructures grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD); it covers issues ranging from controlled synthesis of various ZnO nanostructures to their properties and potential applications. The unique features of MOCVD have been exploited to grow high-quality ID ZnO nanostructures with tunable sizes, enabling the study of excitonic dynamics in low-dimensional nanostructures and size-dependent quantum confinement. A better understanding of the growth behaviors of ZnO nanostructures-particularly the anisotropic surface energy and adsorbate-surface interaction with regard to the crystal planes-allows control over the positions, morphologies, and surface polarities of the ZnO nanostructures as appropriate for device integration.