Electron beam assisted zinc nanocrystal growth from ZnO nanorod

Here, we investigate room temperature in-situ zinc nanocrystal growth from single crystalline [001] ZnO nanorods by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and put forward a possible mechanism of the nanocrystal formation. A time dependent exposure of ZnO nanorods under electron beam shows formation of crystalline zinc layers and successive deterioration of wurtzite crystallinity in the nanorods. It is interpreted that shrinking size of ZnO reduces zinc and oxygen vacancy formation energy at the ZnO surfaces which may favor Schottky defect generation by simultaneous creation of zinc and oxygen vacancies during electron and ZnO atom interaction. This degrades ZnO nanorod crystallinity followed by zinc nanocrystal formation.