ZnO nano-sensors and nano-energy harvesters

As the demand for low-or no-power nano-sensors increases, new processing techniques gain importance to introduce novel sensing structures using well-known materials. ZnO presents substantial opportunities in this aspect due to its semiconducting and piezoelectric properties and ability to crystalize at relatively low temperatures. Many nanostructure configurations of ZnO can be easily synthesized, making it an ideal material for nano-sensors and nano-energy harvesters. This paper reviews design, fabrication and performance analysis of several nano-sensors and nano-energy harvesters based on ZnO. Several possible techniques are discussed that can further improve the performance of ZnO in these nano-sensors and nano-energy harvesters.