Chemists measure copper levels in zinc oxide nanowires

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ZnO nanowires to grow out of the circular copper substrate in all directions as seen in this scanning electron micrograph. Detail image shows copper droplets at the tip of some nanowires. Credit: NIST
ZnO nanowires to grow out of the circular copper substrate in all directions, as seen in this scanning electron micrograph. Detail image shows copper droplets at the tip of some nanowires. Credit: NIST

Chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have been the first to measure significant amounts of copper incorporated into zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires during fabrication. The issue is important because copper plays a significant—but not well-understood—role in important optical and electrical properties of the nanowires. Previous experiments found only trace amounts of copper.


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