Solvent dependent growth of fibrous and non-fibrous nanocrystalline thin films of ZnO

Zinc oxide thin films were prepared from three different solvents using the sol–gel technique. Zinc acetate was used as the source of Zn, and the solvents ethanol, 2-methoxy ethanol and ethylene glycol were used to prepare the sols. ZnO thin films were deposited on glass microslides by pre-heating d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sol-gel science and technology 2013-05, Vol.66 (2), p.280-287
Main Authors: Thakur, Vikas, Verma, U. P., Rajaram, Poolla
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ceramics
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Colloidal gels. Colloidal sols
Colloidal state and disperse state
Composites
Ethanol
Ethyl alcohol
Ethylene glycol
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Glass
Immersion coating
Inorganic Chemistry
Materials Science
Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology
Natural Materials
Optical and Electronic Materials
Optics
OriginalPaper
Photoluminescence
Physical and chemical studies. Granulometry. Electrokinetic phenomena
Sol-gel processes
Sols
Solvents
Striations
Thin films
Zinc acetate
Zinc oxide
Zinc oxides
Zinc sulfide
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Summary:Zinc oxide thin films were prepared from three different solvents using the sol–gel technique. Zinc acetate was used as the source of Zn, and the solvents ethanol, 2-methoxy ethanol and ethylene glycol were used to prepare the sols. ZnO thin films were deposited on glass microslides by pre-heating dip coated sol layers, following which they were finally annealed at 450 °C for half an hour. The films were characterized using structural, morphological and optical techniques. XRD studies show that the films grown from all the three solvents were single phase, highly oriented (along the c axis) ZnO having the wurzite structure. Optical transmission and photoluminescence spectra confirm the good quality of the ZnO films. SEM and AFM images show that the surfaces of the ZnO films, obtained using the first two (more volatile) solvents, consist of striations or ridges of height around 100–400 nm and are made up of nanoparticles 20–40 nm in size. The surfaces of the films produced from the less volatile third solvent are however smooth and devoid of striations although they are also covered with nanoparticles.
ISSN:0928-0707
1573-4846
DOI:10.1007/s10971-013-3005-x