UV photoresponse of single ZnO nanowires

ZnO nanowires grown by site-selected molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) were contacted at both ends by Al/Pt/Au ohmic electrodes. The current - voltage (I -V) and photoresponse characteristics were obtained both in the dark and with ultraviolet (UV, 254 or 366 nm) illumination. The I - V characteristics are ohmic under all conditions, with nanowire conductivity under UV exposure of 0.2 Omegacm. The photoresponse showed only a minor component with long decay times ( tens of seconds) thought to originate from surface states. The results show the high quality of material prepared by MBE and the promise of using ZnO nanowire structures for solar-blind UV detection.