Temperature Effect on the Microstructures and Optical Properties of ZnO Nanowires

Temperature effects on the microstructures and optical properties of ZnO nanowires were investigated extensively. Furnace calibration results showed that temperatures inside the tube furnace had Gaussian distribution. Both radial and axial growth rates of ZnO nanowires in the Arrhenius plot fall on straight lines. With the increase of temperatures, ZnO nanowires exhibited larger diameters, better crystal qualities, and preferred growth along 〈0002〉 directions. Enhanced UV emission with the increase of growth temperatures was observed, while green emission was greatly reduced.