Large-area oblique-aligned ZnO nanowires through a continuously bent columnar buffer: Growth, microstructure, and antireflection

We demonstrate a novel defect-induced bending mechanism for a modified oblique-angle deposition (OAD) system, where different defect density was introduced to accommodate the mass difference between the shadowed and exposed surfaces, leading to continuous structural bending. Oblique angle sputtering and hydrothermal processes were employed for growth of inclined ZnO nanowire arrays on ZnO bent columns. Transmission electron microscopy images reveal that a dislocation network was introduced to accommodate the mass difference in bent columns, and the bending angle could be controlled by growth temperature. Nanowires were then grown along the tangent lines of the bent column tips. The bent column curvature and limited space determine the nanowire growth direction. The reflectance measurements demonstrate that the oblique-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays are an excellent candidate for antireflection coatings, showing the significant suppression of reflectance of 87.5% and 90.0% for polished Si under TE and TM polarization, respectively. The interference oscillations of reflectance show the optical anisotropy of oblique-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays, which is dependent on the angle range of nanowire direction.