Position-, size-, and shape-controlled highly crystalline ZnO nanostructures

Highly ordered ZnO nanoboxes and nanowire structures with a width of ～ 20 nm have been successfully fabricated by the combination of nanoimprint lithography and pulsed laser deposition utilizing a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. The periodicity, size, and shape of the ZnO nanoboxes and nanobelts can be easily controlled over a large area by changing the molds and deposition conditions. At the initial stage of growth by GLAD, nanonucleation led to nanopillar structures, which agglomerated to form nanobox and nanobelt structures at room temperature (RT). The ZnO nanostructures have a c-axis orientation along the nanopillar direction after postannealing and exhibit an intense cathodoluminescence peak around 380 nm at RT.