Room temperature ultraviolet light emitting ZnO layer prepared by low-temperature electrodeposition

A low-temperature method for growing (0001)-oriented one-dimensional ZnO nanopillars using electrodeposition in a simple zinc nitrate aqueous solution without any template is presented. The 20–100 nm diameter ZnO nanopillars emitted ultraviolet light at around 3.30 eV due to the recombination of the bound excitons and visible light at 2.30–2.55 eV at room temperature. Since the diameter and length can be controlled easily, some applications for use in ultraviolet light lasing diode and organic solar cells will be made.