Abstract
Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) is an optically transparent material with uniform hexagonal pores, which has widely been used as a template for nanowire growth. This study examines the potential of utilizing commercially available AAO to fabricate sub-10 nm ZnO nanowires by atomic layer deposition. The pore diameter of the AAO framework is reduced by controlled deposition of . Subsequently, ZnO is deposited and ZnO nanowires are obtained. The analysis of structural and optical properties shows that the nanowires are polycrystalline, and exhibit a pronounced near band edge emission. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements are performed to monitor the effect of additional coating with and ZnO, on the optical stability of the AAO. The measurements indicate that the PL is highly influenced by the adsorption and desorption of species from the ambient at the surface. ALD deposition of a thin layer reduces considerably the effect of ambient atmosphere. The layer of facilitates PL characterization of very thin ZnO nanowires.
