scholarly journals Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Performance of ZnO Seed Layer for Photoanode in Photoelectrochemical Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 398 ◽  
pp. 156-166
Author(s):  
Asla A. Al-Zahrani ◽  
Zulkarnain Zainal ◽  
Zainal Abidin Talib ◽  
Hong Ngee Lim ◽  
Laimy Mohd Fudzi ◽  
...  

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were coated onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass substrate using spin coating technique as a function of annealing temperature. The thin film preparation was undertaken by utilising zinc acetate dihydrate, ethanol and diethanolamine as the precursors. The films were coated at room temperature prior to being annealed at temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 450 °C. The resulting crystalline structure and surface morphology of the thin films were then examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). UV-visible spectrophotometer was also used to record the optical absorbance in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 800 nm. The findings revealed that the ZnO thin films showed a single phase of wurtzite with n-type semiconductor, with the lowest value of band gap energy of 3.28 eV for ZnO thin films annealed at 350 °C. FESEM results showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were very compact on the surface, whereby the average particle size was equivalent to 108.5, 115.3, 108.2 and 107.8 nm at the temperatures 300 °C, 350 °C, 400 °C, and 450 °C, respectively. Additionally, the highest photoconversion efficiency (0.11%) recorded for the sample was annealed at 350◦C. Thus, annealing temperature was found to significantly affect the optical and electrical properties of ZnO nanoparticle seed layer, as well as its band gap energy and surface morphology.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Motallebi Aghkonbad ◽  
Maryam Motallebi Aghgonbad ◽  
Hassan Sedghi

Background: Due to wide band gap and large excitonic binding energy, being inexpensive, abundance in nature and easy synthesis ZnO is a promising candidate in many applications such as solar cells. Experimental: In the current work a series of ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates using sol-gel method to investigate the change in optical behavior of the film with sol aging time (asprepared, 8, 16, 24 and 32 hours) and the annealing temperature (300ᵒC and 500ᵒC). The optical properties of thin films were explored using spectroscopic ellipsometry method including the real and imaginary part of refractive index, real and imaginary part of dielectric function and band gap energy of the layers in the 300-900 nanometer wavelength range. Results: It can be deduced from the results that sol aging time and annealing temperature, affect the optical properties of the samples. Using single oscillator energy model of Wemple and Di Domenico parameters such as free charge carrier concentration ratio to effective mass, and plasma frequency, were calculated. Conclusion: The films prepared using 24 h aged solution, had the highest transmittance and the largest band gap energy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 1850013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Motallebi Aghgonbad ◽  
Hassan Sedghi

In the present work, pure and Fe-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by sol–gel method. Zinc acetate and iron nitrate were used as the starting material and dopant source, respectively. The concentration of Fe doping was 6[Formula: see text]at.% and 8[Formula: see text]at.%. The optical and electronic properties of pure and Fe-doped ZnO thin films such as refraction index, extinction coefficient, dielectric function and optical band gap energy of the layers were obtained by spectroscopic ellipsometry method in the wavelength range of 300–900[Formula: see text]nm. The incidence angle of the layers kept 70[Formula: see text]. Also data obtained by Kramers–Kronig relations were used for comparison. The influence of Fe-doping concentration on the optical and electronic properties of thin films was studied. The transmittance data of ZnO thin films showed that 6[Formula: see text]at.% Fe-doped ZnO thin film has the highest transmittance value. Dielectric function of pure ZnO films was found to be higher compared with Fe-doped ones. Also it can be deduced from the results that Fe doping influences the optical band gap energy of thin films.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 642-648
Author(s):  
Ehsan M. Aghkonbad ◽  
Hassan Sedghi ◽  
Maryam M. Aghgonbad

Background: Al-doped ZnO thin films are considered as a promising alternative to ITO in optoelectronic applications. In this work, Al-doped ZnO thin films were prepared using sol-gel spin coating technique. Experimental: The optical properties of the films such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric function and the absorption coefficient were examined using spectroscopic ellipsometry method in the wavelength range of 300 to 900 nm. The effect of Al doping on ZnO thin films with different Al concentrations was significant. Tauc relation was used to estimate the optical band gap energy of the films. Results: The calculated values of band gap energy were obtained between 3.10 to 3.25 eV. Also the fraction of voids was calculated using Aspnes theory. Conclusion: The free carrier concentration value was obtained in the order of 1019 cm-3.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deependra Das Mulmi ◽  
Agni Dhakal ◽  
Buddha Ram Shah

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on the ordinary glass substrates by spin coating method. The precursor solution was prepared by mixing zinc acetate dehydrate in appropriate proportions with ethanol and diethanolamine (DEA). The obtained thin films were dried at 200°C for 15 minutes in hot air oven. Crystalline ZnO thin films were achieved following annealing process at temperatures 300°, 400° and 500°C for 2 hours. Thin films as- prepared were studied by X-ray diffraction and UV-visible spectroscopy. The films were transparent from near ultraviolet to infrared region. Optical band gap energy of ZnO was obtained 3.22 eV at 300°C. On annealing at 400° and 500°C, band gap energy was shifted at 3.14 eV and 3.05 eV respectively.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12126Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 111-116


2014 ◽  
Vol 585 ◽  
pp. 608-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Wook Shin ◽  
In Young Kim ◽  
G.V. Kishor ◽  
Yeong Yung Yoo ◽  
Young Baek Kim ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1923-1930
Author(s):  
Austine Amukayia Mulama ◽  
Julius Mwakondo Mwabora ◽  
Andrew Odhiambo Oduor ◽  
Cosmas Mulwa Muiva ◽  
Boniface Muthoka ◽  
...  

 Selenium-based chalcogenides are useful in telecommunication devices like infrared optics and threshold switching devices. The investigated system of Ge5Se95-xZnx (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 4 at.%) has been prepared from high purity constituent elements. Thin films from the bulk material were deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation. Optical absorbance measurements have been performed on the as-deposited thin films using transmission spectra. The allowed optical transition was found to be indirect and the corresponding band gap energy determined. The variation of optical band gap energy with the average coordination number has also been investigated based on the chemical bonding between the constituents and the rigidity behaviour of the system’s network.


2013 ◽  
Vol 764 ◽  
pp. 266-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibram Ganesh ◽  
Rekha Dom ◽  
P.H. Borse ◽  
Ibram Annapoorna ◽  
G. Padmanabham ◽  
...  

Different amounts of Fe, Co, Ni and Cu-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated soda-lime glass substrates by following a conventional sol-gel dip-coating technique followed by heat treatment at 550 and 600°C for 30 min. These thin films were characterized for photo-current, chronoamperometry and band-gap energy values. The chemical compositions of metals-doped TiO2 thin films on FTO glass substrates were confirmed by XPS spectroscopic study. The metal-ions doped TiO2 thin films had a thickness of <200 nm="" optical="" transparency="" of="">80%, band-gap energy of >3.6 eV, and a direct band-to-band energy transition. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies revealed that all the metal-ions doped TiO2 thin films exhibit n-type semi-conducting behavior with a quite stable chronoamperometry and photo-currents that increase with the increase of applied voltage but decrease with the dopant metal-ion concentration in the thin film. Furthermore, these thin films exhibited flat-band potentials amenable to water oxidation reaction in a PEC cell. The 0.5 wt.% Cu-doped TiO2 thin film electrode exhibited an highest incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of about 21%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chitra Das ◽  
Jahanara Begum ◽  
Tahmina Begum ◽  
Shamima Choudhury

Effect of thickness on the optical and electrical properties of gallium arsenide (GaAs) thin films were studied. The films of different thicknesses were prepared by vacuum evaporation method (~10-4 Pa) on glass substrates at a substrate temperature of 323 K. The film thickness was measured in situ by a frequency shift of quartz crystal. The thicknesses were 250, 300 and 500 nm. Absorption spectrum of this thin film had been recorded using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer in the photon wavelength range of 300 - 2500 nm. The values of some important optical parameters of the studied films (absorption coefficient, optical band gap energy and refractive index; extinction co-efficient and real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant) were determined using these spectra. Transmittance peak was observed in the visible region of the solar spectrum. Here transmittance showed better result when thicknesses were being increased. The optical band gap energy was decreased by the increase of thickness. The refractive index increased by increasing thickness while extinction co-efficient and real and imaginary part of dielectric constant decreased. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbas.v37i1.15684 Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 37, No. 1, 83-91, 2013


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