Influence of seed layer thickness on properties of electrodeposited ZnO nanostructured films

[EN] The quality and properties of electrodeposited nanostructured ZnO films are improved when they are deposited on a crystal lattice-matching substrate. To this end, a highly conductive indium tin oxide substrate is covered with an interlayer of ZnO using direct-current magnetron sputtering. In this manuscript, we describe the effect of this interlayer on the morphological and optical properties of several nanostructured ZnO films grown by different electrodeposition methods. The thickness of the ZnO interlayer was varied starting from ultrathin layers of 10 nm all the way up to 230 nm as determined by ellipsonnetry. The structural and optical properties of the nanostructured ZnO films deposited on top of these interlayers were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Optimum properties of the nanostructured ZnO films for application in thin-film optoelectronic devices are obtained when the ZnO interlayer has a thickness of approximately 45 nm. This is the case for all the electrodeposition methods used in this work. Reyes Tolosa, MD.; Alajami, M.; Montero Reguera, ÁE.; Damonte, L.; Hernández Fenollosa, MDLÁ. (2019). Influence of seed layer thickness on properties of electrodeposited ZnO nanostructured films. SN Applied Sciences. 1(10):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-019-1293-7 Marotti RE, Giorgi P, Machado G, Dalchiele EA (2006) Crystallite size dependence of band gap energy for electrodeposited ZnO grown at different temperatures. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 90:2356–2361 Marotti RE, Guerra DN, Bello C, Machado G (2004) Bandgap energy tuning of electrochemically grown ZnO thin films by thickness and electrodeposition potential. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 82:85–103 Jin ZC, Hamberg I, Grangvist CG (1988) Optical properties of sputter-deposited ZnO: Al thin films. J Appl Phys 64:5117–5131 Chopra KL, Major S, Pandya DK (1983) Transparent conductors—a status review. Thin Solid Films 102:1–46 Kiliç B, Wang L, Ozdemir O, Lu M, Tüzemen S (2013) One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanowires dye sensitized solar cell. J Nanosci Nanotechnol 13:333–338 Granqvist CG (2007) Transparent conductors as solar energy materials: a panoramic review. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 9:1529–1598 Mallampati B, Nair SV, Ruda HE, Philipose U (2015) ZnO nanowire based photoconductor with high photoconductive gain. Mater Res Soc Symp Proc 1805:720–726 Benlamri M, Bothe KM, Ma AM, Shoute G, Afshar A, Sharma H, M