Facile synthesis, electrical and optical properties of Cu-doped GaN nanorods by sol–gel technique

Here, we report, for the first time, synthesis of Cu-doped GaN nanorods by a simple sol–gel approach in the absence of any catalyst. The morphology of the as-synthesized Cu-doped GaN nanorods was examined in terms of X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Detailed structural studies indicated that the synthesized products are hexagonal wurtzite GaN nanorods with large scale and high purity. The nanorods have diameters in the range of 30–50 nm and length of a few tens of micrometers. To assess the properties of the transparent conducting films, the electrical conductivity of as-prepared green GaN and Cu-doped GaN was studied. Finally, the influence of Cu content on the optical properties of GaN has been investigated. The Cu-doped GaN nanorods could be the basis for building integrated nanoscale magneto-electronic devices.