ZnO Thin Films Synthesized by Sol-Gel Process for Photonic Applications

Abstract

Undoped and aluminum-doped ZnO thin films are prepared by the sol-gel process. Zinc acetate dihydrate, ethanol and monoethanolamine are used as precursor, solvent and stabilizer, respectively. In the case of Al-doped ZnO, aluminum nitrate nonahydrate is added to the precursor solution with an atomic percentage equal to 1 or 2 at.% Al. The multi thin layers are prepared by spin-coating onto glass substrates, and are transformed into ZnO upon annealing at 550• C. Films with preferential orientation along the c-axis are successfully obtained. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the thin films as a function of aluminum content have been investigated for different elaboration parameters (e.g. layer number) using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy. Waveguiding properties of the thin films have been also studied using m-lines spectroscopy. The results indicate that our films are monomodes at 632.8 nm with propagation optical loss estimated around 1.6 dB/cm.

Preparation, Characterization and Electrical Study of (Carboxymethylated Polyvinyl Alcohol/ZnO) Nanocomposites

“…Po lyvinyl alcohol (PVA ) is well known poly meric material with good chemical stability and hydrophilicity [20], [21] fo r wh ich there have been many experiments using PVA for the fabricat ion of the reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration memb rane. PVA memb rane shows low flu x and low rejection due to the relative high thickness of PVA me mb rane [22], [23]. Such membrane and their co mposite need ensure adequate mechanical strength, PVA has been chemically modified to its carboxy methylated form using monochloroacitic acid (M CAA) and the product designated as CPVA [24].…”

MORPHOLOGY AND CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF Sn(Oct)2 THIN LAYER ADDED BINDER VIA SOL GEL METHOD

“…Sol-gel synthesis may be used to prepare materials with a variety of shapes, such as porous structures, thin fibers, dense powders and thin films [7]. Sol-gel method is specialized in mixing organic and inorganic materials in one process [8].…”

“…In this process, an organometallic compound solution was hydrolysed to create a "sol" which is a colloidal suspension of a solid in a liquid and the sol will undergo further process to form a gel that will produce a ceramic object with required shape [9]. It is one of the favourable methods in making thin, and homogenous at low cost and yield excellent attachment between metallic substrate and the top coat other than provide an efficient, and economic method to produce coatings with high quality [7].…”

Laser induced photoconductivity in sol–gel derived Al doped ZnO thin films

“…A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2 gel deposition process [13]. Among them, sol-gel deposition process is not only simpler, but also offers the possibility of low cost preparing deposition of a large-area, at relatively low temperatures.…”