Facile synthesis of large scale Er-doped ZnO flower-like structures with enhanced 1.54 μm infrared emission

A new strategy to introduce metallic dopant into ZnO structures by a wet chemical reaction is presented. Single-crystal Er-doped ZnO flower-like structures have been synthesized on ZnO-coated silicon substrate by a low temperature hydrothermal process. The Er-doped ZnO structures exhibit promising 1.54 μm photoluminescence emission for optoelectronic communication. The successful doping has been confirmed by the X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. The achievement to introduce Er dopants into ZnO flower-like structures by the time-and cost-effective wet chemical reaction at low temperature for the first time has vast potential to scale up for possible applications. The photoluminescence properties are significantly improved compared to that reported in the literature for the Er-doped nanowires and thin films and shall be much more applicable in optical and communication devices. The flower-like structures are expected to be advantageous in serving as a multi-directional infrared emitters and/or detectors.