Independent growth of CdTe nanorod arrays on different substrates with enhanced photoelectrical property

CdTe nanorod arrays have been directly grown on borosilicate glass as well as on Si (100), common glass, and FTO glass (SnO2) by magnetron sputtering deposition. The parallel and uniform CdTe nanorods with diameters of about 100 nm are self-assembly with (00l) orientation regardless of substrate. The formation of CdTe nanorod arrays is followed by the Stranski–Krastanov model and Gibbs free energy requirement. The CdTe nanorod arrays on different substrates similarly show broad absorption from ultraviolet light to visible light (300–800 nm), and the CdTe nanorod arrays also have a high short circuit photocurrent with excellent photoresponse. This study provide a simple strategy to grow CdTe nanorod arrays without the constraints introduced by the substrate and open new potential for CdTe nanorod arrays application in nanostructured solar energy conversion devices.