Synthesis and photoluminescence of Sb-induced ZnO nanowires along [ 0   1 ¯   1   1 ] with islands attached

ZnO nanowires with nanoislands attached are synthesized by thermal evaporation process using Sb as dopant. The electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy show that the nanowires grow along [ 0 1 ¯ 1 1 ] with ± ( 1 0 1 ¯ 1 ) as side surfaces. The nanoislands are composed of SiO x shelled ZnO clusters and attached to polar surface ( 1 0 1 ¯ 1 ) . We believe that the Sb dopant induces the growth along the distinct direction and leads the formation of additional structures on ZnO nanowires’ polar surface. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence confirms the existence of acceptor level related to Sb.