Zinc oxide nanowire arrays grown on differently treated seeding substrates and their ultraviolet photodetect properties

Zinc oxide (ZnO) seeds were firstly deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate by magnetron sputtering way, sol-gel dip-coating and sol-gel spin-coating process, respectively, and then ZnO nanowire arrays were prepared by a low temperature hydrothermal method. The characteristics of these ZnO nanowire arrays were determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence(PL) spectrum. The ultraviolet detecting devices were prepared on the ITO glass with a silver electrode. The ultraviolet detecting property was examined and the responding mechanism was discussed according to the surface properties of ZnO nanowires. The results show that the nanowires grown from the smallest seeds by sol-gel spin-coating have the highest aspect ratio, the samllest diameters and the best orientation. The corresponding PL spectra show that the sample has an excellent near edge emission peak with the depressed visible emission. The samples from the seeds obtained by sol-gel dip-coating and spin-coating can respond easily, but recover rather slowly. The samples from the seeds obtained by magnetron sputtering have a good ultraviolet corresponding and recovering characters, but a lower signal intensity.