Growth of ZnO nanorods from the gas phase

This review provides an overview of the various gas phase routes to growing zinc oxide nanostructures and nanostructured arrays, focussing particularly on growth of zinc oxide nanorods via pulsed laser ablation/deposition methods. Aspects of the underlying growth mechanism(s) are described, particularly the nucleation of such crystal growth, and its dependence on process conditions like laser parameters, background gas pressure, and the identity and temperature of the substrate. Characterisation of the as-grown nanorods by a variety of techniques, e.g. scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, is discussed also. An overview of nanorod properties is given and potential applications, e.g. in gas sensors, biosensors and optoelectronics, are reviewed.