Electric-Field Assisted Hydrothermal Growth of ZnO Nanorods on Flexible Substrate and their Strain Sensing Applications

Abstract:

This paper presents an electric-field assisted hydrothermal seedless synthesis of ZnO nanorods (NRs) on flexible polyimide (PI) substrate and their strain sensing applications. A three-electrode structure including top cathode and anode on PI substrate with a Copper layer on the back of PI (served as bottom gate) was fabricated with photolithography, sputtering and lift-off techniques. Hydrothermal growth of ZnO NRs on and between top cathode and anode (comb-like electrode-pair) was realized in Zn (NO₃)₂ and HMTA solution whilst an alternating current (AC) electric-field was applied onto the electrodes. The strain sensing properties of the fabricated ZnO NRs device were tested by measuring I-V characteristics of the device under different strains. From strain-free to 0.48% strain, the decrease ratio of the current flowing through the device reached 75% at a bias voltage of 1V.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 748)
• Pages: 49-52
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.748.49
• Online since: April 2015
• Authors: Xian Li Zong, Rong Zhu*, Chao Zhang
• Keywords: Electric-Field Assisted Growth, Flexible Strain Sensing, Hydrothermal Growth

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