Electrodeposited ZnO films with high UV emission properties

We report here our results in the preparation of ZnO films with high UV band to band characteristic luminescence emission by potentiostatic electrodeposition. Zinc nitrate aqueous baths with different concentration and additives were employed for the preparation of the films on platinum substrates. We focused our research in determining how the electrodeposition bath composition, i.e. zinc nitrate concentration and addition of KCl or polyvinyl pyrolidone and applied overpotential influence the morphological and optical properties of the oxide films. Scanning electron microscopy was employed for characterizing the films in terms of morphology. Optical reflection, photoluminescence spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence were used for determining the optical characteristics of the samples. The morphology of the deposit varies from hexagonal prisms to platelets as a function of the deposition rate. This experimental parameter also influences the luminescence properties. We found that at low deposition rates high UV luminescent material is obtained.     

Preparation and field emission properties of titanium polysulfide nanobelt films

TiS₃ nanobelt films, with widths of about 0.1–12 μm, thickness of about 20–250 nm, and lengths of up to 200 μm, have been grown on Ti substrates by a surface-assisted chemical-vapor-transport at 450 °C for 8 h. The TiS₃ nanobelt films were converted into TiS_1.71 nanobelt films by pyrolysis in a vacuum at 600 °C for 2 h. The work functions of the two films were determined by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements to be 4.60 and 4.44 eV, respectively. Preliminary field emission experiments using the nanostructures as cold electron cathodes showed that both materials gave significant emission currents. The turn-on fields (defined as the electric field required to produce a current density of 10 μA/cm₂) were about 1.0 and 0.9 V/μm, respectively, whereas the threshold fields (defined as the electric field required to produce a current density of 1 mA/cm₂) were about 5.6 and 4.0 V/μm, respectively. These data reveal that both materials have potential applications in field emission devices. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com     

Large area ZnO:Al films with tailored light scattering properties for photovoltaic applications

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide films on glass are promising substrates for use in thin film solar cells based on amorphous and amorphous/microcrystalline silicon absorber material. The films can be produced by magnetron sputtering on large scale at relative low cost. Especially reactive sputtering of metallic Zn/Al compound targets is a cheap way to produce films at high deposition rate. One drawback of amorphous silicon is the low absorption in the near infrared spectral range. Wet chemical etching has been used to produce a rough TCO surface that enables light trapping in the absorber. The etching behaviour of ZnO:Al films can be tuned by changing oxygen partial pressure during deposition. The etching behaviour is compared to ZnO structure and discussed regarding the performance of solar cells deposited onto the etched films.     

Characterization of surface oxide films on titanium and bioactivity

Biological properties of titanium implant depend on its surface oxide film. In the present study, the surface oxide films on titanium were characterized and the relationship between the characterization and bioactivity of titanium was studied. The surface oxide films on titanium were obtained by heat-treatment in different oxidation atmospheres, such as air, oxygen and water vapor. The bioactivity of heat-treated titanium plates was investigated by immersion test in a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution. The surface roughness, energy morphology, chemical composition and crystal structure were used to characterize the titanium surfaces. The characterization was performed using profilometer, scanning electronic microscopy, ssesile drop method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, common Bragg X-ray diffraction and sample tilting X-ray diffraction. Percentage of surface hydroxyl groups was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis for titanium plates and density of surface hydroxyl groups was measured by chemical method for titanium powders. The results indicated that heat-treatment uniformly roughened the titanium surface and increased surface energy. After heat-treatment the surface titanium oxide was predominantly rutile TiO₂, and crystal planes in the rutile films preferentially orientated in (1 1 0) plane with the highest density of titanium ions. Heat-treatment increased the amount of surface hydroxyl groups on titanium. The different oxidation atmospheres resulted in different percentages of oxygen species in TiO₂, in physisorbed water and acidic hydroxyl groups, and in basic hydroxyl groups on the titanium surfaces. The immersion test in the supersaturated calcium phosphate solution showed that apatite spontaneously formed on to the rutile films. This revealed that rutile could be bioactivated. The analyses for the apatite coatings confirmed that the surface characterization of titanium has strong effect on bioactivity of titanium. The bioactivity of the rutile films on titanium was related not only to their surface basic hydroxyl groups, but also to acidic hydroxyl groups, and surface energy. Heat-treatment endowed titanium with bioactivity by increasing the amount of surface hydroxyl groups on titanium and its surface energy.     

Relationship between ultraviolet emission and electron concentration of ZnO thin films

ZnO thin films were deposited on (0001) Al₂O₃ substrates depending on oxygen partial pressure by pulsed laser deposition. Optical properties of ZnO were investigated by photoluminescence (PL). The relationship between PL and electron concentration has been investigated. Origin of the dominant ultraviolet (UV) emission in ZnO thin film measured at room temperature was identified as a free electron-neutral-acceptor transition (eA⁰) through temperature dependence of PL measurement. The UV emission intensity at room temperature is related to variation of electron concentration because a free-electron-neutral-acceptor transition (eA⁰) as origin of UV emission at room temperature is related to impurity concentration of ZnO.     

Morphology of ion-plated titanium and aluminum films deposited at various substrate temperatures

Titanium and aluminum films were deposited in an argon atmosphere of 2.7×10^-2 mbar onto a circular metal sheet. A radial a.c. current flowing through the substrate generated a temperature ranging from about 1000°C at the center to about 100°C at the edge of the sheet. With the two metals evaporated by means of an electron beam gun it was thus possible to cover a $\text{T}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ range from 0.19 to 1.36 (T_m is the melting point of the deposited metal in kelvins). Simultaneously a negative bias potential of up tp 11 kV was applied to the substrate.The resulting deposits of 6–18 μm thickness were examined by scanning electron microscopy. With no bias potential applied the microstructures of titanium described in the literature were essentially confirmed. There were differences, however: (a) below $\text{T}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}\text{=0.20}$ we observed a zone of fine fibrous grains extending through the entire deposit; (2) the columnar structure of zone 2 changed from tapered crystallites with a scaled surface at lower temperatures to smooth fibrous crystallites with faceted ends at $\text{T}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}\text{>0.4}$; (3) the equiaxed grains of zone 3 existed only on the top half or less of the cross section and tended to have rounded edges at $\text{T}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}\text{>0.55.}$The application of a bias potential did not appear to alter the morphology of the deposits, in spite of the expected competition between particel removal and deposition in the ion plating process. The typical microstructures and the corresponding transition zones were observed at increasingly lower temperatures with increasing bias potential however. The high temperature onset $\text{T}{}_2\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ of columnar grains was thus shifted from 0.49 with no bias to 0.38 and 0.33 with a 5 kV and a 10 kV bias potential, respectively.The corresponding experiments with aluminum permitted a closer examination of the morphology of films which were formed by ion plating at substrate temperatures above the melting point of the deposited metal.     

Ultraviolet surface plasmon-coupled emission using thin aluminum films

Surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) is the directional radiation of light into a substrate due to excited fluorophores above a thin metal film. To date, SPCE has only been observed with visible wavelengths using silver or gold films. We now show that SPCE can be observed in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum using thin (20 nm) aluminum films. We observed directional emission in a quartz substrate from the DNA base analogue 2-aminopurine (2-AP). The SPCE radiation occurs within a narrow angle at 59 degrees from the normal to the hemicylindrical prism. The excitation conditions precluded the creation of surface plasmons by the incident light. The directional emission at 59 degrees is almost completely p-polarized, consistent with its origin from surface plasmons due to coupling of excited 2-AP with the aluminum. The emission spectra and lifetimes of the SPCE are those characteristic of 2-AP. Different emission wavelengths radiate at slightly different angles on the prism providing intrinsic spectral resolution from the aluminum film. These results indicate that SPCE can be used with numerous UV-absorbing fluorophores, suggesting biochemical applications with simultaneous surface plasmon resonance and SPCE binding assays.     

Enhancement of UV emission in ZnO nanorods by growing additional ZnO layers on the surface

Ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence emission from ZnO nanorod arrays was greatly enhanced by growing additional thin ZnO layers on the surface after thermal reduction of the nanorods. Appropriate selection of additives based on the shape of the original ZnO samples was found to be an important factor in designing the solution composition for growing the additional ZnO layers. This is because the additives modify the growth rates with respect to crystallographic planes. Adding ethylene glycol to the solution was effective for rod-shaped ZnO nanorods in enhancing the UV emission, whereas adding polyethylenimine was better for plate-like particles. These results can be explained by the presence of non-luminescent regions near the surface, where UV emission is thought to be suppressed by non-radiative surface centers. Growing additional layers on side planes increases the volume of the optically active region of ZnO nanorods, with a lower transmittance loss; thus, it effectively enhances the UV emission intensity.     

Morphology and surface plasma changes of Au-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles

In this study, we examined the amount-dependent change in morphology in a series of Au-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles synthesized using chemical reduction. The amount of Au precursor was kept constant throughout the experiment. The Au/Pt molar ratio was varied from 1/1 to 1/4 to synthesize Pt shell layers with different thicknesses. We observed a remarkable shift of the surface plasmon band at around 410 nm. By high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), the composition of the shell layer was found to be Pt-enriched Au-Pt alloy. As the concentration of Pt increases, Pt clusters (ca. 1.8 nm in diameter) form a string-like shape on the surface of nanoparticles.     

Morphology and optoelectronic properties of ZnO rod array/conjugated polymer hybrid films

Vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were grown on the ITO glass and then coated with the conjugated polymer poly(2,3-dibutoxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (DB-PPV) to make the hybrid films. Nanorods with different diameters were synthesized to study the influences of ZnO nanorod morphology and polymer infiltration on the photocurrent and optical properties of the hybrid films. Increasing the growth time leads to the formation of ZnO rod array with large rod diameter, large surface area and small inter-rod distance. Small inter-rod distance hinders the filling of DB-PPV into the porous ZnO rod microstructure and lowers the PN junction area. It leads to lower photocurrent of the hybrid film. The red shift of the photoluminescence spectra suggests that filling the polymer into the ZnO rod microstructure favors more planar molecular orientations of the conjugated polymers and leads to an increase in the effective conjugation length.     

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of ZnO films in HBr/Ar plasma

The etching characteristics of ZnO thin films were examined in an HBr/Ar gas mix using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching system. The etch rate and etch profile were systematically investigated as a function of gas concentration. In addition, the effects of etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage, and gas pressure were studied. As the HBr concentration increased, the etch rate of the ZnO films gradually decreased while the etch profile was improved. Surface analyses including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to elucidate the etch mechanism of ZnO in an HBr/Ar chemistry.     

Enhanced field emission from ZnO nanoneedles on chemical vapour deposited diamond films

ZnO nanoneedles were coated on hot filament chemical vapour deposited diamond thin films to enhance the field emission properties of ZnO nanoneedles. The virgin diamond films and ZnO nanoneedles on diamond films were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The field emission studies reveal that the ZnO nanoneedles coated on diamond film exhibit better emission characteristics, with minimum threshold field (required to draw a current density ~ 1 μA/cm²) as compared to ZnO needles on silicon and virgin diamond films. The better emission characteristic of ZnO nanoneedles on diamond film is attributed to the high field-enhancement factor resulting due to the combined effect of the ZnO nanoneedles and diamond film.     

Interaction of chitosan capped ZnO nanorods with Escherichia coli

ZnO nanorods of around 80 nm length and 30–60 nm diameter, encapsulated in chitosan were synthesized through co-precipitation technique and was characterized by XRD, UV–VIS, SEM, HRTEM, AFM and FTIR. The aim of the study was to investigate the attachment of chitosan capped zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP) with Escherichia coli bacterial outermost cell membrane and their mode of action against these bacteria. The detailed characterization studies were carried out to develop insight into the process of influence of these nanostructures on bacterial cells. Antibiotic characteristics of chitosan capped ZnO nanoparticles have been compared with Amoxicillin by zone of inhibition through cup plate method.     

Laser-ablated plasma for deposition of ZnO thin films on various substrates

We report optical and structural properties of ZnO films deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique on 1100) n-typesilicon and quartz substrates at various pressures of back ground gas. ZnO plasma was created using KrF laser 1248 nm) atvarious pressures of the ambient gas, oxygen. Laser induced plasma at varying fluence on the target was investigated using optical emission spectroscopy and 2-D images of the expanding plumes. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and spectro-photometry were used to characterize as grown films.     

Solution grown nanocrystalline ZnO thin films for UV emission and LPG sensing

Nanocrystalline ZnO thin films were successfully deposited by a simple and inexpensive solution growth technique. Photoluminescence (PL) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties were investigated. Films were found to be uniform, pinhole free, and well adherent. As deposited and heat treated (at 673 K for 2 h) films were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDAX. The dc electrical resistivity and LPG sensing property were measured. The change in morphology, from spherical particle to rod-like, was observed after air annealing. XRD results revealed that the obtained films were nanocrystalline and had a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The absorption edge was found to be at around 366 nm for the as-deposited film and 374 nm for the annealed film. The band gaps were found to be 3.29 and 2.9 eV for the as-deposited and annealed films, respectively. PL spectra of ZnO thin films showed strong peak at 384 nm, which corresponds to near band edge emission (UV emission) and a relatively weak peak at 471 nm. Further, the annealed film was used for detection of LPG in air. Maximum response was observed at 673 K. The maximum sensitivity of sensor was found to be 4.5 for 0.6 vol.% LPG. Sensing response got saturated after 0.6 vol.% of gas concentration. A possible mechanism of LPG sensing has been explained.     

Enhanced conductivity of aluminum doped ZnO films by hydrogen plasma treatment

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at various RF power were treated by hydrogen plasma to enhance the characteristics for transparent electrode applications. The hydrogen plasma treatment was carried out at 300 °C in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that all AZO films have a (002) preferred orientation and film crystallinity seems no significant change after plasma treatment. The plasma treatment not only significantly decreases film resistivity but enhances electrical stability as aging in air ambient. The improved electrical properties are due to desorption of weakly bonded oxygen species, formation of Zn-H type species and passivation of deep-level defects during plasma treatment.     

Laser-ablated plasma for deposition of ZnO thin films on various substrates

We report optical and structural properties of ZnO films deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique on (100) n-type silicon and quartz substrates at various pressures of back ground gas. ZnO plasma was created using KrF laser (248 nm) at various pressures of the ambient gas, oxygen. Laser induced plasma at varying fluence on the target was investigated using optical emission spectroscopy and 2-D images of the expanding plumes. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and spectro-photometry were used to characterize as grown films.     

Study on double-glow plasma niobium surface alloying of pure titanium

A niobium modified layer on a pure titanium surface was obtained by means of a double-glow plasma surface alloying technique. Microstructure and phases resident in the alloy layer were analyzed. The processing parameters and effects of cathode sputtering before the diffusion process were also studied. The results show that the surface niobium content in the modified layer is similar to that in the Ti-45Nb alloy, and decreases gradually from the surface into the underlying substrate. The oxidation behavior of the modified pure titanium at 900 °C was noticeably improved after the niobium alloying process. Characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The oxidation mechanism is also discussed.     

Transparent conducting ZnO thin films deposited by vacuum arc plasma evaporation

A high rate deposition of co-doped ZnO:Ga,F and ZnO-In₂O₃ multicomponent oxide thin films on large area substrates has been attained by a vacuum arc plasma evaporation method using oxide fragments as a low-cost source material. Highly transparent and conductive ZnO:Ga,F and ZnO-In₂O₃ thin films were prepared on low temperature substrates at a deposition rate of approximately 375 nm/min with a cathode plasma power of 10 kW. A resistivity of 4.5×10⁻⁴ Ω cm was obtained in ZnO:Ga,F films deposited at 100 °C using ZnO fragments co-doped with 1 wt.% ZnF₂ and 1 wt.% Ga₂O₃ as the source material. In addition, the stability in acid solution of ZnO films was improved by co-doping. It was found that the Zn/(In+Zn) atomic ratio in the deposited ZnO-In₂O₃ thin films was approximately the same as that in the fragments used. The ZnO-In₂O₃ thin films with a Zn/(In+Zn) atomic ratio of approximately 10-30 at.% deposited on substrates at 100 °C exhibited an amorphous and smooth surface as well as a low resistivity of 3-4×10⁻⁴ Ω cm.     

Field emission characteristics of chromium carbide capped carbon nanotips

In this study, field emission characteristics of two carbon based nanomaterials, carbon nanotips and chromium carbide capped carbon nanotips, were discussed. Both of these materials were synthesized by bias-assisted microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition with hydrogen and methane as reactants. Ultra-sharpness of the carbon nanotips and the composite structure of chromium carbide capped carbon nanotips have shown unique structural and electrical properties. I-V measurements were carried out to investigate the field emission characteristics. The chromium carbide capped carbon nanotips showed superior field emission stability compared to carbon nanotips under constant current emission.