Triangular radial NbO nanorod growth on -plane sapphire for ultraviolet-radiation detection.

NbO nanostructures with excellent crystallinities were grown on -plane sapphire and employed for ultraviolet-(UV)-radiation detection. The triangular radial NbO grown on the -sapphire substrate had a 6-fold symmetry with domain matching epitaxy on the substrate. Owing to the radial growth, the nanorods naturally connected when the deposition time increased. This structure can be used as a UV-detector directly by depositing macroscale electrodes without separation of a single nanorod and e-beam lithography process. It was confirmed that electric reactions occur at different UV irradiation wavelengths (254 nm and 365 nm).