Facile synthesis of ZnO microrod photodetectors by solid-state reaction

In this study, ZnO microrods were directly synthesized via a single-step solid-state reaction using ZnO powders mixed with graphite without a catalyst under an air atmosphere, instead of using vacuum systems and flowing gases. The structure, growth mechanism, and electrical and optical properties of the microrods were investigated under varying growth conditions. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the formation of single-crystal ZnO microrods. The photoluminescence spectra of the microrods showed green emission, suggesting the formation of non-stoichiometric ZnO microrods due to the formation of oxygen vacancies during sintering. The length and width of the ZnO microrods could be modulated by controlling the graphite content, sintering temperature, and residual time. A simple photodetector consisting of a single-crystal ZnO microrod on a SiO2-coated Si substrate was fabricated. The photodetector exhibited a linear current–voltage curve in visible light. The slope of the curve increased under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, maintaining a linear shape of the curve. The curve reversibly returned to the initial shape in the absence of UV illumination. The UV on-off current ratio increased because of the decrease in the off-current by compensating for the oxygen vacancies through annealing in an oxygen atmosphere. Thus, in this study, we proposed a simple and efficient approach to fabricate single-crystal ZnO microrods for application in low-cost photodetectors.