Effect of the Concentration of Eu~(3+) Ions on Crystalline and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanowires

摘要

In this study, Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires were prepared with different concentrations of Eu3+ ions by a hydrothermal method. Before the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires were grown, sputtering was used to deposit ZnO films of similar to 300 nm thickness on SiO2/Si and glass substrates as the seed layer. Zn(NO3)(2)-6H(2)O, Eu(NO3)(3)-6H(2)O, and C6H12N4 were used as reagents to grow the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires on ZnO/SiO2/Si and ZnO/glass substrates. First, the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanostructures were grown on the substrates at 100 degrees C. We found that the nanowires could be successfully grown because an undoped ZnO solution was used, and the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires could not be grown because different concentrations of Eu3+ ions were added. We also found that the required growth temperatures of the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires decreased with increasing concentration of Eu3+ ions. In this study, we also thoroughly investigated the effects of different concentrations of Eu3+ ions on the luminescence properties of the ZnO seed layer and the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires. We showed that the substrates used and the concentrations of Eu3+ ions have considerable effects on the photoluminescence properties of the Eu3+-doped ZnO nanowires.