Semiconducting Nanowires & Nanostructures

The research line Semiconducting Nanowires & Nanostructures aims at developing and exploring the chemical synthesis of spontaneously grown ZnO nanowires/nanostructures by sol-gel process, chemical bath deposition, ALD, and MOCVD. These methods of chemical synthesis can be coupled with technological processes in a cleanroom environment (i.e. lithography, etching, ...) in the framework of the selective area growth of these objects. We are specifically interested in elucidating and monitoring the nucleation and growth mechanisms of nanowires/nanostructures by coupling an experimental approach with a fundamental approach based on thermodynamic simulations. Our activity is also focused on the determination and control of the basic properties of these objects, such as their intrinsic/extrinsic doping (i.e. Al, Ga, ...), their polarity (O and Zn), as well as the effects related to their surfaces. The semiconducting heterostructures based on ZnO nanowires that are bare or combined with direct band gap semiconductors are being developped for piezoelectric, optoelectronic (i.e. self-powered UV photodetectors, light emitting diodes), and photovoltaic (i.e. extremely thin absorber solar cells) devices.

[5] T. Cossuet et al. Advanced Functional Materials 28, 1803142 (2018)
ZnO/CuCrO₂ Core–Shell Nanowire Heterostructures for Self‐Powered UV Photodetectors with Fast Response

[4] R. Parize et al. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 121, 9672 (2017)
ZnO/TiO₂/Sb₂S₃ Core–Shell Nanowire Heterostructure for Extremely Thin Absorber Solar Cells

[3] R. Parize et al. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120, 5242 (2016)
Effects of Hexamethylenetetramine on the Nucleation and Radial Growth of ZnO Nanowires by Chemical Bath Deposition

[2] J. Garnier et al. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 7, 5820 (2015)
Physical Properties of Annealed ZnO Nanowire/CuSCN Heterojunctions for Self-Powered UV Photodetectors

[1] V. Consonni et al. ACS Nano 8, 4761 (2014)
Selective Area Growth of Well-Ordered ZnO Nanowire Arrays with Controllable Polarity