Effects of seed layer precursor type on the synthesis of ZnO nanowires using chemical bath deposition

A two-step solution process was used to grow ZnO nanowires on glass substrates. The first step was the preparation of a ZnO seed layer on the substrate and the second step was the growth of ZnO nanowires on the seeded substrate in a chemical bath. The seed layers were prepared using five different precursors, whereas the nanowire growth was performed under the same bath condition. The resulting ZnO nanowires are all single crystalline and have similar lengths. However, depending on the precursor type, the nanowire diameters and number densities (number of nanowires per unit area) are different. In general, the seed layer (002) preferred orientation favors the nucleation of the ZnO nanowires. Correlations between the seed layer and nanowire characteristics are discussed.