Transparent Conducting ITO Nanowires: Orientation Control, Phase Selection, and Light Emission

As a new paradigm of synthesis, the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of nanowires has received considerable attention in the past decade due to the vast potential of nanowire-based devices. Indium tin oxide or ITO is the most important transparent conducting oxide, dominating the touch-screen and other emerging technology markets. In this talk, I will discuss the synthesis and characterization of single-crystalline ITO nanowires. We found that the growth of planar, vertical and randomly oriented tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanowires can be realized on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates via the epitaxy-assisted VLS mechanism. In addition, with properly tuned growth conditions, a rare cubic phase of In-Sn-O (ISO) epitaxially forms at the catalyst/nanowire interface, forming a self-assembled axial nanowire heterostructure. Finally, we also found that ITO nanowires can emit UV light, exhibiting optical properties different from the bulk counterpart.