Chemical bath deposition of textured ZnO thin films in aqueous/ethanolic solution

Abstract

ZnO thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition in aqueous/ethanolic solution. The film texture was successfully controlled by varying the volume ratio of water to ethanol. Films consisting of densely oriented nanorod arrays with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate were fabricated in aqueous solution. The crystals became increasingly tilted as more ethanol was introduced to the solution, resulting in the cracked nanocolumns and the smoothed crystals. The crystal size was decreased with increasing ethanol content, and granular morphology was obtained in films deposited in ethanolic solution. A gradual evolution of the film texture is possibly due to the inhibited crystal growth in solution with higher ethanol content.