Enhanced performance of ZnO piezoelectric nanogenerators by using Au-coated nanowire arrays as top electrode

In this paper, we demonstrated a piezoelectric ZnO nanogenerator (NG) by adopting Au‐coated nanowires (NWs) as its top electrode so as to improve the electrical output through increasing contact area between ZnO nanowire and the top electrode surface. With this method, a significant enhancement in output current of the NG from 40 nA to 3 µA was achieved, comparing with the conventional NG with Au electrode on flat substrate. This demonstration of NG presents an adaptable and cost‐effective technology for harvesting energy from the environment. The performance of a vertically integrated nanogenerator was improved by adopting Au‐coated nanowires (NWs) as its top electrode.