Nominally undoped ZnO nanorods, which were grown with intentionally incorporated large concentrations of zinc and oxygen vacancies, were studied with electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy at low temperature. Detailed photoluminescence studies revealed that the concentration of these defects depends on the growth conditions of the nanorods as well as on their annealing history. The optical signatures of these two defects at photoluminescence experiments were related with the 3.31 and 3.235eV peaks. The activation energies of zinc and oxygen vacancies were calculated to be 123 and 199meV, respectively.

Zinc and Oxygen Vacancies in ZnO Nanorods. Travlos, A., Boukos, N., Chandrinou, C., Kwack, H.S., Dang, L.S.: Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 106[10], 104307