ZnO tetrapod morphology influence on UV sensing properties

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this work was to investigate how ZnO tetrapod (ZnO-T) morphology, structure, and surface charge properties (i.e. Debye length) influence their UV sensing properties, shedding light on the underlying photoresponse mechanisms. ZnO-Ts were synthesized and centrifuged to obtain three different fractions with tuned morphology, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy microscopies, x-ray diffraction analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements, FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopies. ZnO-T UV sensors were fabricated and tested comparing among ZnO-T fractions and commercial ZnO nanoparticles. ZnO-T photoresponse was mostly influenced by ZnO-T leg diameter, with the optimal value close to the double Debye length. We also demonstrated how fractionating ZnO-Ts for morphology optimization can increased the responsivity by 2 orders of magnitude. Moreover, ZnO-T showed 3 orders of magnitude higher responsivity compared to commercial ZnO nanopowder. These results are beneficial for the engineering of efficient UV sensors and contribute to a deeper understanding the overall mechanism governing UV photoresponse.