Spray pyrolysis deposition of ZnO thin films from zinc chloride precursor solution at different substrate temperatures

Abstract

ZnO films were prepared at different substrate temperatures through spraying pyrolysis deposition of zinc chloride precursor onto glass substrate. Substrate temperature affects surface morphology of films and therefore their optical and electrical properties. All films are polycrystalline with Wurtzite crystal structure and preferentially grow along c-axis direction. Formation of ZnO rods start at about 500 °C. The diameter and length of rods deposited at 500 °C are 350-500 and 550-700 nm, respectively. By increasing substrate temperature, film becomes more coverage and diameter of the rods reduces to 250-300 nm but their length increases to 1,000-1,200 nm, respectively. Optical transmission in visible region decreases with increasing substrate temperature. An ultraviolet emission and two visible emissions at 2.82 and 2.37 eV are observed for photoluminescence spectra at room temperature. The resistivity of ZnO films increases with increasing substrate temperature due to surface morphology.