Low-temperature synthesis and characterization of unique hierarchical In2O3(ZnO)10 superlattice nanostructures

Abstract

Hierarchical In₂O₃(ZnO)₁₀ superlattice nanostructures were controllably synthesized in high yield by a simple chemical vapor deposition method, at low temperature. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations showed that In₂O₃(ZnO)₁₀ superlattice platelets regularly arrayed along axial In₂O₃(ZnO)₁₀ superlattice nanowires. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy results demonstrated that the two adjacent In–O layers sandwich eleven layered wurtzite In/Zn–O layers. X-Ray diffraction data for In₂O₃(ZnO)₁₀ were obtained to fill the gap in the JCPDS database. A possible growth mechanism is suggested in terms of the Stranski–Krastanow growth mode of semiconductor quantum dots. Low-temperature synthesis of hierarchical In₂O₃(ZnO)₁₀ superlattice nanostructures is an important step toward fabricating highly densely integrated functional nanodevices.