Gadolinium-doped zinc oxide thin films prepared on different substrates by sol-gel spin-coating

Abstract

Gadolinium (Gd) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were prepared by sol-gel spin-coating technique. The solution was prepared using zinc acetate dihydrate and monoethanolamine (MEA) as a stabilizer. The Gd-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on different substrates; glass, aluminium doped ZnO (AZO), fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) and silicon (Si). The structural and optical properties of Gd-doped ZnO on different substrates were studied using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDX) and Ultra Violet-Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), respectively. Based on the XRD data, the crystallite size of the films was found to be in the range of 12.26 ∼ 22.95 nm, which shows a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Transmittance spectra of films deposited on AZO indicates a clear sinusoidal behavior as compared to samples prepared on glass and FTO. All samples exhibit magnetic properties at room temperature measured by means of Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM).Gadolinium (Gd) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were prepared by sol-gel spin-coating technique. The solution was prepared using zinc acetate dihydrate and monoethanolamine (MEA) as a stabilizer. The Gd-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on different substrates; glass, aluminium doped ZnO (AZO), fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) and silicon (Si). The structural and optical properties of Gd-doped ZnO on different substrates were studied using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray (FESEM-EDX) and Ultra Violet-Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), respectively. Based on the XRD data, the crystallite size of the films was found to be in the range of 12.26 ∼ 22.95 nm, which shows a hexagonal wurtzite structure. Transmittance spectra of films deposited on AZO indicates a clear sinusoidal behavior as compared to samples prepared on glass and FTO. All samples exhibit magnetic properties at room temperature measured by means of Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM).