Growth and optical properties of stacked-pyramid zinc sulfide architectures

Self-assembled single-phased stacked-pyramid zinc sulfide architectures were fabricated using a facile two-step thermal evaporation method. This novel architecture consists of a single phase hexagonal wurtzite structured stacked-pyramids architected on wire-like trunks. Direct evidence is presented to determine their growth mechanism through extensive microscopic investigation of the structural evolution of different steps. Strong UV and visible emissions centered at 329 nm and 570 nm were observed at the room temperature, indicating their great potential applications in optoelectronics.