Full Spectrum Zinc Oxide Nanowire Sensors By MOCVD

Structured Materials Industries and Drexel University propose to develop an electrically contacted aligned zinc oxide nanowire array for highly efficient, broad spectrum focal plane arrays. The properties of ZnO make it a very promising material for optoelectronic devices. In particular, the wide bandgap (3.37eV) and large exciton binding energy (60meV), and the ability to fabricate stable, uniform ZnO nanowires make the material attractive as a sensor material. A ZnO nanowire focal plane array has great potential as a highly sensitive, low noise imager capable of operation over a broad wavelength range. The wide bandgap of ZnO will produce very little thermal noise. A dense array of nanowires, properly designed, will produce a very large absorption cross section for the design wavelength range. The precise control of nanowire deposition, including composition and diameter provides the ability to precisely tune the structures for particular wavelength ranges and objectives. Further, sensitizers (molecular or nanoparticle) on the surface of the nanowires may be used to tune the optoelectronic response further. All these factors lead to a high performance, broad wavelength imager.