In situ integration of freestanding zinc oxide nanorods using copper silicide nanobeams

In this letter, we describe an in situ integration method to produce freestanding zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) on copper silicide nanobeams (Cu3Si NBs). The integration of ZnO NRs with Cu3Si NBs is straightforwardly achieved immediately after ZnO NR synthesis by exploiting self-assembled Cu3Si NBs as catalysts. The resulting ZnO NRs on Cu3Si NBs exhibit atomic defect-free structures with superb optical quality which, in turn, can be beneficial when applied in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.