Modification of ZnO Layers by Molecular Adsorbates During Electrochemical Deposition

Abstract

ABSTRACTZnO and ZnO/EosinY hybrid materials were electrodeposited from aqueous zinc salt solutions on (0001) GaN and on (0001) ZnO. Crystalline ZnO was deposited as proven by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The intensity pattern for ZnO/EosinY showed a preferential orientation with the c- plane of ZnO parallel to GaN (0001) or ZnO (0001). XRD rocking curves with FWHM=0.25° indicated a high level of in-plane orientation of the deposited ZnO crystalline domains. The peak position of (0002) ZnO was shifted by 2Θ=1.3°. This difference and the corresponding simultaneous shift of (0004) ZnO were explained by a lattice expansion by 3.6 % in the c- direction. This clearly indicated the strong influence of the Eosin Y molecules adsorbed during the electrodeposition of ZnO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of domains with different crystal sizes pointing at a varying density of nucleation sites on the substrate.