Physical properties of ZnO thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

Thin films of ZnO have been prepared on glass substrates at different thicknesses by spray pyrolysis technique using 0.2 M aqueous solution of zinc acetate. X-ray diffraction reveals that the films are polycrystalline in nature having hexagonal wurtzite type crystal structure. The resistivity at room temperature is of the order 10⁻² Ω cm and decreased as the temperature increased. Films are highly transparent in the visible region. The dependence of the refractive index, n, and extinction coefficient, k, on the wavelength for a sprayed film is also reported. Optical bandgap, E_g, has been reported for the films. A shift from E_g = 3.21 eV to 3.31 eV has been observed for deposited films.