ZnO/Ge core–shell nanowires and Ge nanotubes fabricated by chemical vapor deposition and wet etching

One-dimensional germanium (Ge)-related nanostructures including core-shell nanowires and nanotubes with high specific surface area show enhanced performance in energy storage and electronic devices, and their structural control is important for further improving their performance and stability. In this work, we fabricated vertically formed ZnO/Ge core-shell nanowires with different shell thicknesses. The dependence of morphology, crystallinity, and internal stress of the nanowires on the shell growth time and temperature was investigated. By applying the wet-etching method to the ZnO/Ge core-shell heterojunction nanowires, we demonstrated the Ge nanotube fabrication and stress relaxation in Ge after ZnO core removal.