Synthesis, structure and optical properties of zinc oxide hexagonal microprisms

Abstract

Abstract Zinc oxide (ZnO) pencil‐head‐like (PHL) microprisms were synthesized by a hydrothermal route using a zinc (Zn) plate as a source and substrate. The structural analysis confirmed the formation of ZnO with hexagonal wurtzite phase on the hexagonal Zn substrate and the growth of the ZnO microparticles along the [101] direction. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the ZnO microprisms showed a sharp UV emission band located at around 380 nm, which is expected to originate from the radiative recombination of free excitons. The sharp UV emission band, with a full width at half‐maximum of about 15 nm and an extremely weak visible emission, confirms the high crystal quality of the synthesized ZnO microprisms. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)