Morphology of Zn/Al layered double hydroxide nanosheets grown onto aluminum thin films

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering 2014-08, Vol.126, p.129-133
• Main Authors: Scarpellini, D., Falconi, C., Gaudio, P., Mattoccia, A., Medaglia, P.G., Orsini, A., Pizzoferrato, R., Richetta, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrothermal technique; Hydroxides; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Layered double hydroxide; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Morphology; Nanoplatelets; Nanostructure; Nanostructures; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Photoluminescence; Physics; Scanning electron microscopy; Scanning probe microscopes, components and techniques; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin films; Zinc
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2014.07.007

[Display omitted] •Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been fabricated onto aluminum thin films.•Well-shaped LDH nanoplatelets are formed with a film thickness as low as 10nm.•The lateral size of the LDH nanoplatelets depends on the aluminum thickness.•The LDH stoichiometry does not change appreciably with the aluminum thickness.•Below 25nm photoluminescent ZnO nanorods are also formed onto the LDH film. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets have been fabricated by a one-step, room-temperature, hydrothermal process on sputtered-aluminum thin substrates, in which the metal substrate acts as both reactant and support. The morphology, dimensions and composition of the obtained nanostructures have been characterized as a function of the substrate thickness by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence measurements. While the lateral size of the observed LDH nanosheets depends on the available aluminum, the stoichiometry does not change appreciably. Even for the lowest values of the aluminum thickness, the excess zinc does not alter the chemical composition of LDH, but rather produces ZnO nanorods that show the characteristic defect-related broad visible photoluminescence centered at approximately 600nm. The results show that a controlled growth of Zn/Al LDH nanosheets can be achieved onto sputtered aluminum thin layers with thicknesses as low as 10nm, which can be important for the integration of LDH on generic substrates.