Growth and luminescence of N doped TiO2 nanowires.

Titanium oxide nanowires have been grown by thermal treatment of pressed TiN powder under argon or N2 flow. It has been found that two-step treatments at two different temperatures, 400 degrees C and 800 degrees C, lead to the growth of nanowires all over the sample surface. The nanowires are of single crystalline rutile structure. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that the oxide nanostructures contain N from the starting nitride. The mechanism of N incorporation into the oxide and its possible effect on the luminescence are discussed.