A novel regrowth mechanism and enhanced optical properties of Mg0.25Zn0.75O nanorods subjected to vapor-confined face-to-face annealing

Abstract

Although the sol–gel spin-coating method is usually a technique for depositing thin films, here, we report on the sol–gel fabrication of one-dimensional Mg_0.25Zn_0.75O nanorods through the use of vapor-confined face-to-face annealing (VC-FTFA), in which mica is inserted between two films before annealing using the FTFA method. Mg_0.25Zn_0.75O nanorods are regrown when magnesium chloride hexahydrate is used as the solvent, because ZnCl₂ and MgCl₂ vapors are generated under these conditions. The near-band-edge emission intensity of the Mg_0.25Zn_0.75O nanorods is enhanced by VC-FTFA by a factor of 37 compared to that of the films annealed in open air at 700 °C. Our method may provide a route for the facile fabrication of Mg_0.25Zn_0.75O nanorods.