Optimization of Pulsed Laser Ablation and Radio-Frequency Sputtering Tandem System for Synthesis of 2D/3D AlO-ZnO Nanostructures: A Hybrid Approach to Synthesis of Nanostructures for Gas Sensing Applications.

In this paper, a unique hybrid approach to design and synthesize 2D/3D AlO-ZnO nanostructures by simultaneous deposition is presented. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and RF magnetron sputtering (RFMS) methods are redeveloped into a single tandem system to create a mixed-species plasma to grow ZnO nanostructures for gas sensing applications. In this set-up, the parameters of PLD have been optimized and explored with RFMS parameters to design 2D/3D AlO-ZnO nanostructures, including nanoneedles/nanospikes, nanowalls, and nanorods, among others.