Aligned Er-Doped ZnO Nanorod Arrays with Enhanced 1.54 μm Infrared Emission

Vertically aligned Er-doped ZnO nanorod arrays with sharp and intense 1.54 μm infrared emission have been fabricated on Si substrates through a well controlled spin-coating and annealing process. The synthesis method is advantageous for synthesizing ZnO nanostructures free from structural defects, capability for large-scale production, minimum equipment requirement and product homogeneity. Er atoms were found to incorporate into ZnO lattice from XRD, ESCA, TEM, STEM/EDS and PL measurements. The single-crystal Er-doped nanorods maintained their high microstructural quality after annealing for 4 hr at 800°C. The intensity of 1.54 μm infrared emission was found to be correlated with the deep level green emission. The enhanced luminescence intensity and best ever narrow wavelength distribution of Er-doped ZnO nanorod arrays at 1.54 μm emission will be conductive to applications in optoelectronic devices and optical communications.