[nanoPost] Production of ZnSe nanowires for chemical sensors applications

Research Centre Ukraine

This work reports a simple route for vapor phase synthesis of ZnSe nanowires on GaAs substrate mounted in PCcontrolled
horizontal cylindrical quartz reactor with three axial channels for the vaporization of source materials. The key
approach in this synthesis is a shock supply of strong supersaturated ZnSe vapor into the relatively cool reactor’s zone
just before the substrate. In this case the synthesis occurs in extremely nonequilibrium conditions, which yield samples
with nanowires shown in Figure.
The samples quality was assessed by SEM, X-ray diffraction and
photoluminescence techniques.
Due to a large surface-to-volume ratio, the surface conductivity of
the grown samples exhibit superior sensitivity (at room temperature)
to surface chemical processes particularly to chemisorption of
hazardous industrial gases (such as CO, H2, H2S, CH4, etc.) At the
same time the samples under investigation can be easily refreshed
either thermally or via UV illumination. So, with the appropriate
design they have a great potential to be manufactured into commercial
sensors.