Structural, Optical Properties of Zr Doping Mn3O4 Sprayed Thin Films and Ethanol Sensing

Husmannite manganese oxide thin films doped by Zirconium (1–3 at %) were deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique at 350°C. First, the Structural characterization of the films was performed by using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy while the morphological modifications were studied by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical properties were studied by UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry over a wavelength range of 250–2500 nm. The optical band gap energy of undoped film is found to be 2.23 eV and increases with Zr doping to 2.81 eV. Finally, DC electrical resistance measurements were carried out to determine the response of the films upon exposure to ethanol vapor.