Sol - gel Ni doped ZnO films: Effect of annealing temperature

Uniform and transparent Ni doped ZnO films have been successfully deposited by sol-gel technology. The effect of annealing temperatures on film structure is studied by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR spectroscopy. This work presents a study of the optical properties of nanocrystalline films of ZnO and nickel doped ZnO, thermally treated at the temperatures from 300 to 800°C. The ZnO and ZnO:Ni films are polycrystalline as Ni additive induces a higher degree of crystallization. The transparency of sol-gel ZnO:Ni films in visible spectral range is improved by nickel doping. The optical band gap is also estimated.