Various Synthetic Methods for One-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanowires/Nanorods and Their Applications in Photovoltaic Devices

Abstract

In this microreview, the recent progress on various synthetic methods for 1D semiconductor nanowires is summarized. The colloidal synthetic method has been popularly employed to prepare various semiconductor nanorods/nanowires such as ZnS and TiO2. The vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) synthetic method has been used to fabricate Si and ZnO nanowires. For the growth of semiconductor nanowires by the VLS method, metals that can form a eutectic mixture with a target material have been used as catalysts. After the first report on the synthesis of crystalline III-V semiconductor nanowires by the solution-liquid-solid (SLS) method, various kinds of III-V and II-VI semiconductor nanowires have been synthesized by the SLS method. Various types of templates, including anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), sacrificial nanowire templates, and self-assembled surfactants, have been employed to fabricate 1D semiconductor nanowires that resemble the shape of the template employed. Using 1D semiconductor nanowires, high-performance photovoltaic cells can be fabricated due to facile electron transport within nanowires.