Keywords
ZnO nanowires, chemical bath deposition, piezoelectric nanogenerators, gold seed layer, morphological control, compensatory doping, lithography

Abstract

By converting the energy carried by ambient mechanical vibrations into an electrical signal, piezoelectric nanogenerators arouse a particular interest for the supply of small-scale devices, where a great miniaturization capacity and a high autonomy are typically required. The development of efficient nanogenerators from abundant and non-toxic materials and through low-cost processes remains however a major technological challenge. In this context, the use of zinc oxide (ZnO) in the form of cylindrical nanometric structures (nanowires) is extremely promising. Therefore, this thesis endeavors to elaborate such zinc oxide structures, where several complementary strategies are developed to precisely control their morphological and electrical properties, which form essential steps to obtain piezoelectric nanogenerators with high performances.