Laser modification of Au–CuO–Au structures for improved electrical and electro-optical properties

Abstract

CuO nanomaterials are one of the metal-oxides that received extensive investigations in recent years due to their versatility for applications in high-performance nano-devices. Tailoring the device performance through the engineering of properties in the CuO nanomaterials thus attracted lots of effort. In this paper, we show that nanosecond (ns) laser irradiation is effective in improving the electrical and opto-electrical properties in the copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs). We find that ns laser irradiation can achieve joining between CuO NWs and interdigital gold electrodes. Meanwhile, the concentration and type of interband defects in CuO can be controlled by ns laser irradiation as well. An increase in the concentration of defect centers, together with a reduction in the potential energy barrier at the Au/CuO interfaces due to laser irradiation increases electrical conductivity and enhances photo-conductivity. We demonstrate that the enhanced electrical and photo-conductivity achieved through ns laser irradiation can be beneficial for applications such as resistive switching and photo-detection.

Engineering the defect distribution in ZnO nanorods through laser irradiation

“…Bandgap narrowing caused by defects in ZnO and other oxides can be attributed to optical transitions involving charge carriers trapped at energy levels within the bandgap [56,57]. These traps were verified and investigated by techniques such as photocurrent transients [23]. For instance, et al able to probe and determine these trap levels in ZnO using photocurrent transients under various light illuminations [58].…”

“…As the understanding of metal oxide nanomaterials has advanced, it is now recognized that point defects in metal oxide nanomaterials play a critical role in determining their optical, electrical and mechanical properties [16][17][18]. While conventional techniques such as high-temperature quenching are used for tuning the properties of metal oxide nanomaterials through the engineering of point defects [19,20], electron-beam irradiation [21,22] and laser irradiation [23,24] have emerged as two new techniques for defect engineering since they can be used to adjust and optimize the defect concentration at specific locations within the nanostructure.…”

“…The introduction of point defects through laser irradiation has been reported in both n and p-type metal oxide nanomaterials [23][24][25]. One major strategy produces point defects by exposing the metal oxide nanomaterials in liquid to pulsed laser irradiation [26,27].…”

Direct laser writing of copper and copper oxide structures on plastic substrates for memristor devices

“…Copperbased structures are popular candidates to use in flexible electronics due to the low cost of copper and its high electrical conductivity [13]. Furthermore, copper-based devices also garner interest due to the catalytic and semiconducting properties of copper oxides (Cu 2 O and CuO) [14][15][16]. For example, sintered copper-based flexible components with 808 nm laser have been successfully demonstrated as sensors [17,18], electrodes [11,19] and memory devices [20].…”

NIR-Activated Thermosensitive Liposome–Gold Nanorod Hybrids for Enhanced Drug Delivery and Stimulus Sensitivity

“…PTT can directly ablate tumors while assisting chemotherapy efficacy. − During last decades, various PTT agents have been widely explored, such as organic dyes (e.g., ICG , ), organic polymer nanoparticles (e.g., polyaniline , and polypyrrole , ), carbon-based nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and graphene), − precious metal nanoparticles , and metallic chalcogenide nanomaterials . Among these materials, gold nanostructures (e.g., gold nanorods, nanoclusters, nanoflowers, nanocages, and nanoshells) − have become a research hotspot. In particular, gold nanorods (GNRs) are particularly attractive for simultaneous cancer treatment and diagnosis.…”