Abstract
ZnO thin films show a wide gamut of potential applications, mainly due to their optical and semiconducting properties. ZnO films have been prepared by the sol–gel technique; however, their preparation is rather laborious and the composition of the precursor solutions is relatively complex. In this work, we present the preparation of ZnO thin films by a novel sol–gel method, from a very simple precursor solution, based on zinc acetate and methyl alcohol. Transparent, well-adhered films were obtained on glass slide substrates, in the 100–500 °C annealing temperature range. A very noteworthy feature of the method is that polycrystalline ZnO thin films could be obtained at annealing temperatures as low as 100 °C. The films are transparent (80–90 %) in the visible and near-IR spectral ranges. They were characterized also by micro-Raman spectroscopy and SEM and their thickness was evaluated by profilometer measurements.
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Acknowledgments
E. López-Mena is grateful to CONACYT for a postdoctoral fellowship. The authors acknowledge the technical support of C. I. Zúñiga-Romero, M. A. Hernández-Landaverde, F. Rodríguez-Melgarejo, R. A. Mauricio-Sánchez, and J. E. Urbina-Álvarez.
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López-Mena, E., Jiménez-Sandoval, S. & Jiménez-Sandoval, O. ZnO thin films prepared at low annealing temperatures, from a novel, simple sol–gel precursor solution. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 74, 419–424 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3612-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3612-1