A study of the electrochemical synthesis of ZnO thin films

Abstract

The principal characteristics of the cathode deposition of zinc oxide from slightly acidified aqueous zinc nitrate solution at 65 °C were studied via potentiodynamic electrolysis, potentiostatic electrolysis, and X-ray diffraction patterns. The results indicate the reliability of a low-temperature electrolytic path of synthesis, and avenues of further exploration. Keywords: zinc oxide, cathode deposition, XRD patterns, FBM theory.

Electrodeposition of Semiconductors

“…Subsequent work by Izaki and Omi has sought to optimize the electrolyte composition [210] and to characterize the transparent ZnO films deposited by a variety of techniques [211]. This nitrate-based bath approach was also extended by other researchers [162,[212][213][214]. On the other hand, follow-up work by Lincot and co-workers has addressed the mechanistic aspects of cathodic electrodeposition in oxygenated aqueous zinc chloride solutions [215] and temperature effects on ZnO electrodeposition [216].…”

Macroscopically uniform electrodeposited ZnO films on conducting glass by surface tension modification and consequent demonstration of significantly improved p–n heterojunctions

“…Many studies have examined the influence of the electrodeposition parameters, precursor concentration, and substrate type on the microscopic properties of ZnO thin films electrodeposited from zinc nitrate solutions [4,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The macroscopic homogeneity of the thin films, however, has received little attention.…”

On the transmittance properties of electrolytically deposited thin zinc oxide films

“…The latter was estimated via Faraday's law of electrolysis based on the mean value of the electrical charge passed during deposition. The mean cathodic current efficiency was taken to be 85% due to simultaneous hydrogen evolution [4]. It is instructive to compare these results with E g = 3.3 eV found in the case of chemical ZnO preparation methods [9].…”

“…In recent years, a relatively new, low-temperature technique based on the cathodic deposition of various oxides allowing in situ doping [1] has been adapted [2][3][4] to ZnO deposition from an aqueous nitrate solution. This rapid communication summarizes the results of a subsequent study [5] in which transmission measurements on zinc oxide deposited electrolytically on ITO-coated glass in the transitional region between UV and the visible spectrum [6,7] were carried out.…”