Fabrication and characterization of novel ZnO tetrapods induced by polar surfaces

Novel ZnO tetrapods have been successfully synthesized on MgO-coated Si (111) substrates by chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) at 1000 degrees C. The tetrapod is made up of four legs and added prisms. The particles are single crystal with the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and the growth direction of the tetrapods changes from [0001] to [01 (1) over bar1]. This configuration is a new member in the family of ZnO microstructures. The pre-prepared MgO films on the Si (111) substrates can promote the growth of the tetrapods effectively. In addition, the octahedral multiple twin model and polar surfaces are proposed for interpreting the growth of the tetrapods. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.