Optical properties of Zn_(1-x)Mg_xO nanorods using catalysis-driven molecular beam epitaxy

摘要

We report on the optical properties of (Zn,Mg)O nanorods grown by catalyst-driven molecular beam epitaxy. The process is site-specific, as single crystal (Zn,Mg)O nanorod growth is realized via nucleation on Ag films or islands that are deposited on a SiO_2-terminated Si substrate surface. Growth occurs within a flux of Zn, Mg, and O_2/O_3 mixture at substrate temperatures of 400-500℃. With the addition of Mg, the nanorod morphology becomes more uniform relative to the pure ZnO nanomaterials synthesized under similar conditions. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods are cylindrical, exhibiting diameters, of 15-40 nm and lengths in excess of 1 μm. The (Zn,Mg)O nanorods exhibit a strong photo-luminescence response, showing a slight shift to shorter wavelengths due to Mg incorporation.