Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 June 2014
We report the growth of ZnO horizontal (NRs) on p-Si substrate at low temperature without any assisting mechanism. The NRs were grown at 90°C on a ZnO film previously deposited using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The horizontal nanowires have diameters in the range of 200 – 500nm and lengths between 1 – 7 µm, depending upon the duration of the growth and the ratio of the precursors. The density of the NRs was controlled by varying the concentration of zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2) while keeping hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) constant. Density of horizontal NRs increased with lower zinc nitrate concentration (from 11.35 to 3.29 mMol) for a growth duration of 18hrs. Increased zinc nitrate concentration of 3.29mMol resulted in an asymmetric growth along the vertical axis due to oxygen termination giving rise to slower growth rates.