Electrical properties of single ZnO nanobelt in low temperature

Abstract

ZnO nanobelts are synthesized using chemical vapors deposition method on silica substrate. The average width of the nanobelts is ～1 μm and the length is dozens of micron. Single ZnO nanobelt device is assembled using the micro-grid template method. The current-voltage characteristics are linear and the resistance and resistivity of the ZnO nanobelt are calculated to be ～3 MΩ and ～0.4 Ω·cm at room temperature, respectively. It is found that there are two different conduction mechanisms through the single ZnO nanobelt, according to the temperature dependence of the resistance of the single ZnO nanobelt at 20-280 K. In the higher temperature range (130-280 K) the thermally activated conduction is dominant. However, as the temperature comes down (<130 K), the nearest-neighbor hopping conduction mechanism instead of the thermally activated conduction turns into the dominant conduction mechanism through the single ZnO nanobelt.