ZnO grown by chemical solution deposition

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films were grown on different substrates by the chemical solution deposition method from an ammonium zincate complex solution. The structure, morphology, composition, and optical properties of the films were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. Results reveal that the deposited layers consist of ZnO nanorods with strong c-axis orientation. The observed Raman spectra are in excellent agreement with those reported in literature. The E₂(high) mode at 437 cm^-1, having the strongest intensity of all samples, is characteristic of the ZnO hexagonal wurzite structure. The diameter of the rods is about 90 nm and the thickness of the ZnO layer is between 140 nm to 2,3 μm. Different deposition parameters such as the concentration of the zincate complex and the temperature of the bath, the deposition time and dipping process effects are discussed.