ZnO nanowire (NW) visible-blind UV photodetectors with internal photoconductive gain as high as G ∼ 108 have been fabricated and characterized. The photoconduction mechanism in these devices has been elucidated by means of time-resolved measurements spanning a wide temporal domain, from 10-9 to 102 s, revealing the coexistence of fast (τ ∼ 20 ns) and slow (τ ∼ 10 s) components of the carrier relaxation dynamics. The extremely high photoconductive gain is attributed to the presence of oxygen-related hole-trap states at the NW surface, which prevents charge-carrier recombination and prolongs the photocarrier lifetime, as evidenced by the sensitivity of the photocurrrent to ambient conditions. Surprisingly, this mechanism appears to be effective even at the shortest time scale investigated of t < 1 ns. Despite the slow relaxation time, the extremely high internal gain of ZnO NW photodetectors results in gain-bandwidth products (GB) higher than ∼10 GHz. The high gain and low power consumption of NW photodetec...

http://www1.spms.ntu.edu.sg/~oson/publications/papers/NL%207,%201003%20(2007).pdf

ZnO Nanowire UV Photodetectors with High Internal Gain

https://chemistry.beloit.edu/classes/nanotech/ZnO/mattoday10_05_40.pdf

ZnO - nanostructures, defects, and devices

We present a review of current research on the optical properties of ZnO nanostructures. We provide a brief introduction to different fabrication methods for various ZnO nanostructures and some general guidelines on how fabrication parameters (temperature, vapor-phase versus solution-phase deposition, etc.) affect their properties. A detailed discussion of photoluminescence, both in the UV region and in the visible spectral range, is provided. In addition, different gain (excitonic versus electron hole plasma) and feedback (random lasing versus individual nanostructures functioning as Fabry-Perot resonators) mechanisms for achieving stimulated emission are described. The factors affecting the achievement of stimulated emission are discussed, and the results of time-resolved studies of stimulated emission are summarized. Then, results of nonlinear optical studies, such as second-harmonic generation, are presented. Optical properties of doped ZnO nanostructures are also discussed, along with a concluding outlook for research into the optical properties of ZnO.

Optical properties of ZnO nanostructures.

One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures have been studied intensively and extensively over the last decade not only for their remarkable chemical and physical properties, but also for their current and future diverse technological applications. This article gives a comprehensive overview of the progress that has been made within the context of 1D ZnO nanostructures synthesized via wet chemical methods. We will cover the synthetic methodologies and corresponding growth mechanisms, different structures, doping and alloying, position-controlled growth on substrates, and finally, their functional properties as catalysts, hydrophobic surfaces, sensors, and in nanoelectronic, optical, optoelectronic, and energy harvesting devices.

/pdf/one-dimensional-zno-nanostructures-solution-growth-and-30xs4d6be7.pdf

One-dimensional ZnO nanostructures: Solution growth and functional properties

The unique characteristics of ultrafast lasers, such as picosecond and femtosecond lasers, have opened up new avenues in materials processing that employ ultrashort pulse widths and extremely high peak intensities. Thus, ultrafast lasers are currently used widely for both fundamental research and practical applications. This review describes the characteristics of ultrafast laser processing and the recent advancements and applications of both surface and volume processing. Surface processing includes micromachining, micro- and nanostructuring, and nanoablation, while volume processing includes two-photon polymerization and three-dimensional (3D) processing within transparent materials. Commercial and industrial applications of ultrafast laser processing are also introduced, and a summary of the technology with future outlooks are also given. Scientists in Asia have reviewed the role of ultrafast lasers in materials processing. Koji Sugioka from RIKEN in Japan and Ya Cheng from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics in China describe how femtosecond and picosecond lasers can be used to perform useful tasks in both surface and volume processing. Such lasers can cut, drill and ablate a variety of materials with high precision, including metals, semiconductors, ceramics and glasses. They can also polymerize organic materials that contain a suitable photosensitizer and can three-dimensionally process inside transparent materials such as glass, and are already being used to fabricate medical stents, repair photomasks, drill ink-jet nozzles and pattern solar cells. The researchers also explain the characteristics of such lasers and the interaction of ultrashort, intense pulses of light with matter.

/pdf/ultrafast-lasers-reliable-tools-for-advanced-materials-vf0u8o1rkp.pdf

Ultrafast lasers—reliable tools for advanced materials processing

Wide-gap semiconductors with nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires are promising as a new type of UV photosensor. Recently, ZnO (zinc oxide) nanowires have been extensively investigated for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. ZnO nanowires are expected to have good UV response due to their large surface area to volume ratio, and they might enhance the performance of UV photosensors. In this paper, a new fabrication method of a UV photosensor based on ZnO nanowires using dielectrophoresis is demonstrated. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is the electrokinetic motion of dielectrically polarized materials in non-uniform electric fields. ZnO nanowires, which were synthesized by nanoparticle-assisted pulsed-laser deposition (NAPLD) and suspended in ethanol, were trapped in the microelectrode gap where the electric field became higher. The trapped ZnO nanowires were aligned along the electric field line and bridged the electrode gap. Under UV irradiation, the conductance of the DEP-trapped ZnO nanowires exponentially increased with a time constant of a few minutes. The slow UV response of ZnO nanowires was similar to that observed with ZnO thin films and might be attributed to adsorption and photodesorption of ambient gas molecules such as O2 or H2O. At higher UV intensity, the conductance response became larger. The DEP-fabricated ZnO nanowire UV photosensor could detect UV light down to 10 nW cm−2 intensity, indicating a higher UV sensitivity than ZnO thin films or ZnO nanowires assembled by other methods.

Dielectrophoretic fabrication and characterization of a ZnO nanowire-based UV photosensor.

We have succeeded in synthesizing ZnO nanorods by pulsed-laser ablation at comparatively high gas pressures without using a catalyst. The nanorods had an average size of 300 nm and a length of about 6 μm. Stimulated emission was observed from the nanorods at 388 nm by optical pumping. As a catalyst was not used in our method, nanorod growth was not controlled by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. We found that nanoparticles formed by condensation of ablated particles in the laser ablation plume play an important role in nanorod growth.

Growth mechanism of ZnO nanorods from nanoparticles formed in a laser ablation plume

The direct comparison of the emission characteristics of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light between the CO2 and the Nd:YAG laser-produced plasmas (LPP) with a solid tin target is reported. In the case of the Nd:YAG LPP, the conversion efficiency (C.E.) peaked at a laser intensity of about 5×1010W∕cm2 and decreased at higher laser intensity. In the case of the CO2 LPP, the C.E. monotonically increased up to 2×1010W∕cm2, where the C.E. is comparable to the maximum C.E. of the Nd:YAG LPP. The spectral efficiency of the Nd:YAG LPP within the 2% bandwidth around 13.5 nm decreased with laser intensity. The corresponding spectral efficiency of the CO2 LPP was almost constant. This observation indicates the potential of the CO2 laser-produced LPP as the EUV light source for the EUV lithographic systems.

Comparative study on emission characteristics of extreme ultraviolet radiation from CO2 and Nd:YAG laser-produced tin plasmas

The generation of a nano-sized hollow bump array of gold thin film by uniformly spaced melting and inflation of the film induced by a single shot of four interfering fs laser beams is reported. The shape changed from a bump, to a bead on bump, to a standing bead on a hole, and finally to a hole, with the increase in fs laser fluence. The bump height, diameter, and shape as functions of laser fluence are shown. Moreover, the basic shape of the bump changed upon changing the number of interfering beams.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.42.L1452/pdf

Nano-Sized Hollow Bump Array Generated by Single Femtosecond Laser Pulse

Nano-structured ZnO thin films were synthesized by the nanoparticle assisted pulsed-laser deposition in an oxygen background gas. Crystallized and c-axis oriented ZnO nanorods with a size of approximately 300 nm in average diameter and 6 µm in length were grown on sapphire substrates heated at approximately 700°C by the pulsed-laser deposition technique without any catalyst. Strong photoluminescence near the band-gap was observed from nanorods under excitation at 308 nm. The Rayleigh scattering diagnostics of the plume was also conducted, revealing that the nanorods grew from ZnO nanoparticles which formed in the plume and were transported onto the substrate.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.42.L33/pdf

Tatsuo Okada

Papers

Dielectrophoretic fabrication and characterization of a ZnO nanowire-based UV photosensor.

Growth mechanism of ZnO nanorods from nanoparticles formed in a laser ablation plume

Comparative study on emission characteristics of extreme ultraviolet radiation from CO2 and Nd:YAG laser-produced tin plasmas

Nano-Sized Hollow Bump Array Generated by Single Femtosecond Laser Pulse

Synthesis of ZnO nanorods by nanoparticle assisted pulsed-laser deposition