The effect of adsorbates on the space–charge-limited current in single ZnO nanowires

We studied the influence of adsorbates on the space-charge-limited current (SCLC) in individual ZnO nanowires through varying the bias voltage, laser illumination, and ambient pressure. In dark and air conditions, the free carriers were depleted by the surface adsorbates, and electrons injected from the electrode to the nanowire dominated the electron transport properties. Under laser illumination, the current-voltage characteristic was linear at low voltage and superlinear at high voltage, and the SCLC regime occurred at high voltages due to the surface desorption. The time response of photoconductivity further revealed the dynamic process of elimination of SCLC by desorption of oxygen molecules at the ZnO nanowire surface.