Preparation, structure and ultraviolet photoluminescence of ZnO films by a novel chemical method

A novel and simple chemical method was developed for the deposition of ZnO films from aqueous solution, integrating the merits of successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction with the chemical bath deposition technology. By this new method, dense and continuous ZnO thin films with good crystallinity can be prepared in a very short time, e.g., in about 20 min. Results show that as-deposited ZnO films on glass and Si (1 0 0) exhibit hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure and the preferential orientation along (0 0 2) plane. With a dense and continuous appearance, the film is composed of ZnO particles in even size of 200-300 nm. The strong and sharp emission at 391 nm and several weak emissions at the wavelength band of 440-500 nm indicate the high optical quality and the stoichiometrical nature of obtained film. Mechanism analysis shows that the reaction duration in hot water and the drying process are vital important factors affecting the deposition process and the crystallization behavior of the film prepared via the aqueous solution route.