Impurity induced crystallinity and optical emissions in ZnO nanorod arrays

Wereport the growth of ZnO nanocrystallites doped with impurities such as B, Nand S by green chemistry route using ultrasound. The effect of intrinsic defects and impurity doping on the structural and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures has been studied and discussed. Characterization studies carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal the change in lattice parameters and crystallinity of ZnO in the presence of dopant. This has been explained on the basis of the dopant substitution at regular anion and interstitial sites. Study on surface morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows a change from particle-like structure to aligned nanorods nucleated at definite sites. Elemental analysis such as x-ray photon electron spectroscopy (XPS) has been carried out to ascertain the dopant configuration in ZnO. This has been corroborated by the results obtained from FTIR and Raman studies. UV-vis light absorption and PL studies show an expansion of the band gap which has been explained on the basis of Moss-Burstein shift in the electronic band gap of ZnO by impurity incorporation. The optical emissions corresponding to excitonic transition and defect centres present in the band gap of ZnO is found to shift towards lower/higher wavelength sides. New PL bands observed have been assigned to the transitions related to the impurity states present in the band gap of ZnO along with intrinsic defects.