Photoconductivity of Germanium Nanowire Arrays Incorporated in Anodic Aluminum Oxide

Photoconductivity of germanium nanowire arrays of 50 and 100 nm diameter incorporated into Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) membranes illuminated with visible light is investigated. Photocurrent response to excitation radiation with time constants faster than 10−4 s were governed by absorption of incident light by nanowires, while photokinetics with time constants of the order of 10−3 s originates from the photoluminescence of the AAO matrix. Possible applications of nanowire arrays inside AAO as photoresistors are discussed.