Preparation and optimization of epitaxial growth of transparent ZnO nanotip thin films by hydrothermal method

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanotip thin films were prepared on ZnO coated nanocrystalline ITO/glass substrates by hydrothermal method. In order to obtain the ZnO nanotip arrays with high aspect ratio, the experimental conditions were optimized. The scanning electron microscope images showed that the surface morphology of ZnO thin films could be easily manipulated by changing the seed layer thickness and growth time. The ZnO nanotip thin films were grown epitaxially on ZnO seed layer coated ITO/glass substrates. The surface morphology of ZnO thin films on ITO/glass substrate changed from nanorods with a flat-top end to nanotips as the growth time was increased from 3 to 15 h. The ZnO thin films prepared under these deposition conditions were highly oriented along (002) direction. The as-prepared sample (15 h) was annealed at different temperatures (30, 100, 150, and 270 degrees C). The surface morphologies of annealed ZnO thin films did not show any remarkable change and the best crystallinity was observed at 100 degrees C. The photoluminescence spectra showed that the near band edge emission shifted to shorter wavelength as the annealing temperature was increased from 30 to 270 degrees C, it was due to the intrinsic stress in the films. This was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analyses. NPB thin films were prepared on ITO/clay and ITO/glass substrates by thermal evaporation method. The electrical properties of Ag/NPB/ITO/Clay showed the Ohmic characteristics (J proportional V(1.0)). The J-V characteristic of Ag/NPB/PMMA/ZnO/ITO/Glass showed good rectification behaviour with a diode-ideality factor of 1.36.     

Efficiency enhancement by aluminum addition to CaTiO3:Pr phosphor thin films

The mechanism of enhancement of the red emission efficiency from CaTiO₃:Pr³⁺ thin film by Al addition has been investigated. Al-ions have been attracting interest as a sensitizer to improve the luminescent efficiency of phosphors. Also, influence of Al-doping on the crystallization, surface morphology and luminescent properties of CaTiO₃:Pr³⁺ thin films have been discussed. CaTiO₃:Pr³⁺ and Al-doped CaTiO₃:Pr³⁺ films were grown using pulsed laser deposition technique on Al₂O₃ (0001) substrates under different substrate temperatures and oxygen pressures. The crystalline phase and surface morphology of the films were very dependent on the oxygen pressure and substrate temperature and they affected the luminescent brightness of the films. The crystalline structure and microstructure of these films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy and their luminescent properties have been evaluated at room temperature using a luminescence spectrometer and excitation by a broadband incoherent ultraviolet light source with a dominant excitation wavelength of 325 nm. In particular, the incorporation of Al³⁺ ions into CaTiO₃ lattice could induce a remarkable increase of photoluminescence. The enhancement of luminescence for Al-doped films may result not only from the improved crystallinity but also from the reduced internal reflections caused by rougher surfaces. Also, the luminescent intensity and surface roughness of the films exhibited similar behavior as a function of oxygen pressure.     

Influence of deposition temperature on structure and morphology of nanostructured SnO2 films synthesized by pulsed laser deposition

Nanostructured tin oxide thin films were deposited on the Si (100) substrate using the pulsed laser deposition technique at different substrate temperatures (300, 450 and 600 °C) in an oxygen atmosphere. The structure and morphology of the as-deposited films indicate that the film crystallinity and surface topography are influenced by the deposition temperature by changing from an almost amorphous to crystalline microstructure and smoother topography at a higher substrate temperature. The photoluminescence measurement of the SnO₂ films shows three stable emission peaks centered at respective wavelengths of 591, 554 and 560 nm with increasing deposition temperature, contributed by the oxygen vacancies.     

Effects of RF power variation on properties of N-doped p-type ZnO thin films grown by plasma-assisted MOCVD

High quality N-doped ZnO films were grown at different RF powers on glass substrates by plasma-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Hall analyses were carried out to investigate the effects of RF power variation on surface morphology, crystallinity and electrical properties of the ZnO films. Increasing the RF power resulted in compacter surface morphology and change of the crystallinity as well as incorporation of more N atoms. Films grown at 150 W exhibited the best p-type electrical properties. Moreover, room temperature photoluminescence spectra showed strong emission related to N acceptor.     

Pechinin synthesis and luminescence properties of Y3Ga5O12(YGG):Tb thin film

YGG:Tb thin films were successfully prepared by Pechni sol-gel process. The structure, surface morphology, evolution of film crystallization and their luminescent properties were investigated. We find the annealing process is very important to the YGG:Tb film crystallization. Uniform crack-free films can be obtained by conventional annealing for 1 h after rapid thermal treating for 10 min at 800 °C. The excitation and emission spectra of photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the luminescent properties. The excitation spectrum of YGG:Tb is dominated by the 4f-4f5d transition of Tb³⁺at 260 nm. The emission peaks of phosphor thin film lie at 488 and 543 nm. It can be used as a promising phosphor material for FED or ELD application.     

Optical properties of ZnO thin film on γ-LiAlO2 substrate grown by pulsed laser deposition

Optical properties were investigated of ZnO thin films grown on (100) γ-LiAlO₂ (LAO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition method. C-axis oriented ZnO film was grown on (100) LAO substrate at the substrate temperature of 550 °C. The transmittances of the films were over 85%. Peaks attributed to excitons were seen in the absorption spectra, indicating that the thin films have high crystallinity. Photoluminescence spectra were observed at room temperature; the peak at 550 nm is ascribed to oxygen vacancies in the ZnO films caused by the diffusion of Li from the substrate into the film during deposition.     

Effects of oxygen pressure on the structure and photoluminescence of ZnO thin films

A series of ZnO thin films were deposited on silicon (100) substrate at 473 K by using facing target RF magnetron sputtering system at different oxygen pressure in this paper. The structure, surface morphology and photoluminescence of the ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and photoluminescence spectra (PL), respectively. The results showed that only a (002) peak of hexagonal wurtzite appeared in all ZnO thin films, indicating that ZnO films exhibited strong texture. With increasing the oxygen pressure, the results indicated that the ZnO film deposited at 1.2 Pa Ar pressure and 0.6 Pa oxygen pressure had the best preferential C-axis orientation and the weakest compressive stress. Meanwhile, AFM observation showed that ZnO film deposited at pure Ar had the highest surface roughness. With the increment of oxygen pressure, the surface roughness decreased gradually. In addition, PL measurement showed that the ZnO film deposited at 1.2 Pa Ar pressure and 0.6 Pa oxygen pressure had the strongest ultraviolet emission and the weakest blue emission.     

Effects of thermal annealing in oxygen plasma for buffer layers on properties of ZnO thin films

ZnO thin films with ZnO buffer layers were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) on p-type Si(100) substrates. Before the growth of the ZnO thin films, the ZnO buffer layers were deposited on the Si substrates for 20 minutes and then annealed at the different substrate temperature ranging from 600 to 800 degrees C in oxygen plasma. The structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and room-temperature (RT) photoluminescence (PL). A narrower full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the XRD spectra for ZnO(002) and a larger grain are observed in the samples with the thermal annealed buffer layers in oxygen plasma, compared to those of the as-grown sample. The surface morphology of the samples is changed from rugged to flat surface. In the PL spectra, near-band edge emission (NBEE) at 3.2 eV (380 nm) and deep-level emission (DLE) around 1.77 to 2.75 eV (700 to 450 nm) are observed. By increasing the annealing temperatures up to 800 degrees C, the PL intensity of the NBEE peak is higher than that of the as-grown sample. These results imply that the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films are improved by the annealing process.     

Photoluminescence behaviors in ZnGa2O4 thin film phosphors deposited by a pulsed laser ablation

ZnGa₂O₄ thin film phosphors have been deposited using a pulsed laser deposition technique on Si (1 0 0) and Al₂O₃ (0 0 0 1) substrates at a substrate temperature of 550 °C with various oxygen pressures 100, 200 and 300 mTorr, and various substrate temperatures of 450, 550 and 650 °C with a fixed oxygen pressure of 100 mTorr. The films grown under different deposition conditions have been characterized using microstructural and luminescent measurements. Under the different substrate temperatures, ZnGa₂O₄ thin films show the different crystallinity and luminescent intensity. The crystallinity and photoluminescence (PL) of the ZnGa₂O₄ films are highly dependent on the deposition conditions, in particular, oxygen pressure, substrate temperature, a kind of substrates. The luminescent spectra show a broad band extending from 350 to 600 nm peaking at 460 nm. The PL brightness data obtained from the ZnGa₂O₄ films grown under optimized conditions have indicated that the sapphire is one of the most promised substrates for the growth of high quality ZnGa₂O₄ thin film phosphor.     

低温生长的ZnO单晶薄膜的结构和性能

采用电子束反应蒸镀方法在玻璃衬底上在低温下外延生长了沿 ｃ－轴高度取向的单晶 ＺｎＯ薄 膜,研究了衬底温度及反应气氛中的 Ｏ２对薄膜结构的影响,结合荧光光谱（ＰＬ）和荧光激发光谱（ＰＬＥ） 研究了玻璃上ＺｎＯ薄膜的光学跃迁特性．在３２５℃下获得的单晶薄膜（００２）晶面的ｘ射线衍射峰强度 最大且线宽最窄（０．２８）．反应气氛中的 Ｏ２对 ＺｎＯ 薄膜结构的影响不明显,但对薄膜的 ＰＬ及 ＰＬＥ 特性的影响显著．     

Photoluminescence of dense nanocrystalline titanium dioxide thin films: effect of doping and thickness and relation to gas sensing

The photoluminescence (PL) of dense nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO(2) thin films is reported as a function of calcination temperature, thickness, and tungsten and nickel doping. The dependence of the optical absorption, Raman spectra, and PL spectra on heat treatment and dopants reveals the role of oxygen vacancies, crystallinity, and phase transformation in the performance of TiO(2) films used as gas sensors. The broad visible PL from defect states of compact and undoped TiO(2) films is found to be much brighter and less sensitive to the presence of oxygen than that of mesoporous films. The dense nanocrystalline grains and the nanoparticles comprising the mesoporous film are comparable in size, demonstrating the importance of film morphology and carrier transport in determining the intensity of defect photoluminescence. At higher calcination temperatures, the transformation to rutile results in the appearance of a dominant near-infrared peak. This characteristic change in the shape of the PL spectra demonstrates efficient capture of conduction band electrons by the emerging rutile phase. The W-doped samples show diminished PL with quenching on the red side of the emission spectrum occurring at lower concentration and eventual disappearance of the PL at higher W concentration. The results are discussed within the context of the performance of the TiO(2) thin films as CO gas sensors and the chemical nature of luminescent defects.     

衬底温度对PLD方法生长的ZnO薄膜结构和发光特性的影响

在不同的衬底温度下, 通过脉冲激光淀积的方法在Si衬底上生长出c轴高度取向的ZnO薄膜. ZnO薄膜的结构和表面形貌通过X射线衍射和原子力显微镜表征. 同时以He-Cd激光和同步辐射作为激发源来测试样品的发光特性. 实验结果表明, 在衬底温度为500℃时生长的ZnO薄膜具有非常好的晶体质量, 并且表现出很强的紫外发射. 在用同步辐射为激发源的低温(18K)光致发光谱中, 还观察到了一个位于430nm处的紫光发射, 我们认为这个紫光发射与存在于晶粒间界的界面势阱所引起的缺陷态有关, 这个势阱可能起源于Zn填隙(Zn _i)     

Effect of substrate temperature on the physical properties of In2O3:Mo films: Prepared by an activated reactive evaporation

Transparent and high conductive molybdenum doped indium oxide (IMO) thin films have been deposited on glass substrates by activated reactive evaporation. The effect of substrate temperature on the structure, surface morphology, electrical, optical and photoluminescence properties of these films were systematically examined and it was found that crystallinity and growth orientation of the films were significantly influenced by substrate temperature. In addition the films exhibited a low electrical resistivity of 5.2 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm with an optical transmittance 90% in the visible region of the solar spectrum at a substrate temperature of 573 K. Intensive blue PL bands at 415 and 440 nm were observed in the photoluminescence spectrum at room temperature.     

Substrate temperature dependent physical properties of sprayed Zn0.76Mg0.24O films

The composition, microstructural and opto-electronic properties of Zn_1?x Mg _x O thin films grown by spray pyrolysis have been studied. The films were prepared on glass substrates at different substrate temperatures in the range, 200–350 °C for a fixed magnesium composition of x = 0.24. The films showed the predominant (002) reflection corresponding to the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. The preferred orientation doesn’t change with the deposition temperature. The films prepared at 300 °C showed good crystallinity with an average surface roughness of 6.2 nm. The optical studies revealed that the optical transmittance increased slightly with the increase of substrate temperature of the films. The variation of energy band gap, photoluminescence and electrical resistivity of the grown layers was also studied.     

Deposition and dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using pulsed-laser deposition

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) thin films were successfully deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) substrates using pulsed-laser deposition technique. The crystalline structure and the surface morphology of the CCTO thin films were greatly affected by the substrate temperature and oxygen pressure. Thin films with a (2 2 0) preferential orientation were obtained at the substrate temperature above 700 °C and oxygen pressure above 13.3 Pa. The 480-nm thin films deposited under 720 °C and 26.6 Pa have a fairly high dielectric constant of near 2000 at 10 kHz and room temperature. The values of the dielectric constant and loss and their temperature-dependence under different frequency are comparable with those obtained in the epitaxial CCTO films grown on oxide substrates.     

Effect of annealing time in the low-temperature growth of BFO thin films spin coated on glass substrates

Thin films of Bismuth ferric oxide (BiFeO₃) synthesised through sol–gel technique were grown on glass substrates by spin coating method. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that the annealing dwell times play a vital role in the formation of single-phased BiFeO₃ (BFO). Crystallite sizes of BFO were found to be in the range of 30–35 nm, as calculated from the X-ray broadening line width data. FT-IR spectra showed well defined bands along with a metal–oxygen bond, indicating short range order in the system. Although crystallization was not affected in the perovskite BFO phase, the surface morphology (including the RMS roughness value) of the thin films was found to be influenced by the heat treatment conditions. The influence of processing parameters on the microstructure and optical properties were studied. The magnetic measurement studies at room temperature reveal an antiferromagnetic behaviour for the grown thin films.     

YSZ thin films deposited by e-beam technique

YSZ thin films were grown evaporating cubic and tetragonal phase ZrO₂ stabilized by 8 wt.% of Y₂O₃ (8% of YSZ) ceramic powders by using e-beam deposition technique. Operating technical parameters that influence thin film properties were studied. The influence of substrate crystalline structure on growth of deposited YSZ thin film was analyzed there. The YSZ thin films (1.5-2 μm of thickness) were deposited on three different types of substrates: Al₂O₃, optical quartz (SiO₂), and Alloy 600 (Fe-Ni-Cr). The dependence of substrate temperature, electron gun power, and phase of ceramic powder on thin film structure and surface morphology was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The substrate temperature was changed in the range of 20-600° C (during the YSZ thin film deposition) and its influence on the crystallinity of deposited YSZ thin films was analyzed. It was found that electron gun power and substrate temperature has the influence on the crystallite size, and texture of YSZ thin films. Also, the substrate has no influence on the crystal orientation. The crystallite size varied between 20 and 40 nm and increased linearly changing the substrate temperature. The crystal phase of evaporated YSZ powder has the influence on the structure of the deposited YSZ thin films.     

Atomic vapor deposition approach to In2O3 thin films

In2O3 thin films were grown by atomic vapor deposition (AVD) on Si(100) and glass substrates from a tris-guanidinate complex of indium [In(N(i)Pr2guanid)3] under an oxygen atmosphere. The effects of the growth temperature on the structure, morphology and composition of In2O3 films were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that In2O3 films deposited in the temperature range 450-700 degreesC crystallised in the cubic phase. The film morphology, studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), was strongly dependent on the substrate temperature. Stoichiometric In2O3 films were formed under optimised processing conditions as was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron and X-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopies (XPS, XE-AES), as well as by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). Finally, optical properties were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) measurements, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and optical absorption. In2O3 films grown on glass exhibited excellent transparency (approximately 90%) in the Visible (Vis) spectral region.     

Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Films Grown on γ-LiAlO2 Substrate by Pulsed Laser Deposition

ZnO thin films were deposited on the substrates of (100) γ-LiAlO2 at 400, 550 and 700℃ using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with the fixed oxygen pressure of 20 Pa, respectively. When the substrate temperature is 400℃, the grain size of the film is less than 1 μm observed by Leitz microscope and measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). As the substrate temperature increases to 550℃, highly-preferred c-orientation and high-quality ZnO film can be attained.While the substrate temperature rises to 700℃, more defects appears on the surface of film and the ZnO films become polycrystalline again possibly because more Li of the substrate diffused into the ZnO film at high substrate temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO films at room temperature show the blue emission peaks centered at 430 nm. We suggest that the blue emission corresponds to the electron transition from the level of interstitial Zn to the valence band. Meanwhile, the films grown on γ-LiAlO2 (LAO) exhibit green emission centered at 540 nm, which seemed to be ascribed to excess zinc and/or oxygen vacancy in the ZnO films caused by diffusion of Li from the substrates into the films during the deposition.     

Nanoporous ZnO thin films deposited by electrochemical anodization: effect of UV light

Nanoporous ZnO thin films were deposited by electrochemical anodization of high purity Zn at room temperature using Pt counter electrode, calomel reference electrode and oxalic acid as the electrolyte. The crystallinity and the surface morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The variation in molar concentration of oxalic acid during anodization had significant effect on the crystal size and the pore size particularly in the presence of UV light. An increase in room temperature band gap from 3.25 to 3.87 eV of ZnO film grown in 0.3 M oxalic acid indicates a quantum confinement effect and it was further confirmed by a blue shift of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. A possible mechanism of the anodization and the photoetching in the presence of UV light of the ZnO film have been suggested.