Achievement

Wang and Pradel are developing new materials for nanogenerators and piezotronics. Focus is on p-doping zinc oxide nanowires, opening the doors for a new branch of piezotronic research. For the first time ZnO piezoelectric properties have been thoroughly investigated. The solution growth of doped ZnO nanowires was investigated and growth parameters were modified to produce wires with dimensions suitable for piezotronics. Doping was verified, it was shown that the theory of piezotronics still applies, demonstrating that the effect is universal. Using this fundamentally new material system, novel devices such as strain tuned photodetectors or enhanced nanogenerators using p-type ZnO will be developed.