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The coupling influence of UV illumination and strain on the surface potential distribution of a single ZnO micro/nano wire

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Abstract

Interface/surface properties play an important role in the development of most electronic devices. In particular, nanowires possess large surface areas that create new challenges for their optoelectronic applications. Here, we demonstrated that the piezoelectric field and UV laser illumination modulate the surface potential distribution of a bent ZnO wire by the Kelvin probe force microscopy technology. Experiments showed that the surface potential distribution was changed by strain. The difference of surface potential between the outer/inner sides of the ZnO wire increased with increasing strain. Under UV laser illumination, the difference of surface potential between the outer/inner sides of the ZnO wire increased with increasing strain and illumination time. The origin of the observed phenomenon was discussed in terms of the energy band diagram of the bent wire and adsorption/desorption theory. It is suggested that the change of surface potential can be attributed to the uneven distribution of the carrier density across the wire deduced by the piezoelectric effect and surface adsorption/desorption of oxygen ions. This study provides an important insight into the surface and piezoelectric effects on the surface potential and can help optimize the performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zhao Wu, Junjie Qi, Feng Li, Xiaoyang Zhu, Zengze Wang, Guangjie Zhang & Yue Zhang

  2. The Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials and Technologies, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Yue Zhang

Authors
  1. Zhao Wu
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  2. Junjie Qi
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  3. Feng Li
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  4. Xiaoyang Zhu
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  5. Zengze Wang
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  6. Guangjie Zhang
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  7. Yue Zhang
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Correspondence to Junjie Qi or Yue Zhang.

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Wu, Z., Qi, J., Li, F. et al. The coupling influence of UV illumination and strain on the surface potential distribution of a single ZnO micro/nano wire. Nano Res. 9, 2572–2580 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1143-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1143-5

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