Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide Substrate Research Articles

Enhancement of electrochromic efficiency of TiO2 nanorods

In this study, the rutile TiO2 nanorods thin films were deposited via hydrothermal method on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. To form a porous morphology layer, a thin film of amorphous titanium oxide (TiOx) was deposited on the TiO2 nanorods through sputtering at high pressure. The samples were annelid at 450ᵒC to transform the amorphous surface to anatase phase. Structural, optical, morphology and electrochemical properties of the samples were examined via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering, UV–Vis NIR and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Potentiostat device respectively. The samples exhibited a large optical bandgap of 3.35–3.40 eV and high transparency of over 77 % at a wavelength of 555 nm. Raman analysis confirmed the formation of anatase phase on the rutile nanorods under thermal treatment. PL analysis indicated that the oxygen vacancies reached their maximum after sputtering, while the intensity of PL emission significantly increased after annealing. Investigation of the electrochromic properties revealed an increase in coloration efficiency from 2.6 C−1cm2 for bare nanorods to 10.0 C−1cm2 for nanorods after sputtering deposition, which decreased to 5.4 C−1cm2 after thermal treatment.

Gold nanoparticle-decorated fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate for sensitive label-free OIRD microarray chips.

Oblique incidence reflectance difference (OIRD) is an emerging technique enabling real-time and label-free detection of bio-affinity binding events on microarrays. The interfacial architecture of the microarray chip is critical to the performance of OIRD detection. In this work, a sensitive label-free OIRD microarray chip was developed by using gold nanoparticle-decorated fluorine-doped tin oxide (AuNPs-FTO) slides as a chip substrate. This AuNPs-FTO chip demonstrates ahigher signal-to-noise ratio and improved sensitivity compared to that built on FTO glass, showing a detection limit of as low as 10ngmL-1 for the model target, HRP-conjugated streptavidin. On-chip ELISA experiments and optical calculations suggest that the enhanced performance is not only due to the higher probe density enabling a high capture efficiency toward the target, but most importantly, the AuNP layer arouses optical interference to improve the intrinsic sensitivity of OIRD. This work provides an effective strategy for constructing OIRD-based microarray chips with enhanced sensitivity, and may help extend their practical applications in various fields.

In-situ defect passivation assisted three-step printing of efficient and stable formamidine-lead bromide solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) emerge as the most promising photovoltaics (PV) for their high performance and potential convenient cost-effective production routes comparing to the sophomore PV technologies. The printed PSCs with simplified device architecture and fabrication procedures could further enhance the competitive strength of PSC technology. In this work, we present an in-situ defect passivation (ISDP) assisted full-printing of high performance formamidine-lead bromide (FAPbBr3) PSCs. Only three rapid printing steps are involved for electron transporting layer (ETL), perovskite and carbon to form a complete solar cell on the low-cost fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. Long-chain polymer monomethyl ether polyethylene glycol is particularly utilized as the ISDP passivator, leading to conformal coating on the rough FTO and defect passivation for both ETL and perovskite during printing. A high efficiency of 10.85% (certified 10.14%) and a high Voc up to 1.57 V are achieved for the printed device. The unencapsulated PSCs maintain above 90% of the initial efficiency after continuously heating at 85 °C for 1000 h and over 80% of the efficiency after the maximum power point tracking for 3500 h. The fully printed semitransparent PSCs with carbon grids (CGs) shows average visible light transmittance over 33% and an efficiency of 8.81%.

Precursor-concentration-controlled Morphology of TiO2 Nanorod/Nanoflower Films for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting and Investigating Their Growth Mechanism

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been considered as one of the most promising photocatalysts for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Therefore, numerous efforts have been devoted to improving its PEC water splitting performance. In this study, TiO2 nanorod/nanoflower (NRF) films with controlled morphology were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates by following a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The TiO2 NRF films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. FE-SEM showed that the TiO2 films are composed of a simultaneous growth of a primary layer of TiO2 nanorod arrays (NRAs) and a second layer of TiO2 nanoflowers (NFs). The proposed growth mechanism highlighted the influence of precursor concentration on nucleation sites, affecting the preferred crystallographic plane growth of rutile TiO2 and nanorod alignment on the FTO substrate. Intriguingly, TiO2 NRF films prepared with 1.0 mL of titanium butoxide exhibited a maximum photocurrent density of 3.58 mA.cm−2 at 1.23 V versus (vs.) the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), along with a maximum photoconversion efficiency of 0.69%. The enhanced photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency were attributed to the optimum thickness in the range of 4.52-7.31 µm, which caused the film to be formed with a unique morphology of the primary layer with well-vertically aligned nanorods and the second layer of flowers consisting of numerous rods stacked on top of one another. This study demonstrates the importance of designing semiconductors with 1D nanorod/3D nanoflower structures as high-performance photoelectrodes for PEC water splitting. Copyright © 2024 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Enhancement capacitance of FTO electrodes via the electrospun ZnO thin film coating for supercapacitor applications; the role of dopants

The present study aimed to investigate the electrochemical performance of nanostructured ZnO thin films (TFs) on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. The pure ZnO TFs, Al-doped ZnO TFs, and Cu-doped ZnO TFs were fabricated using electrospinning and post calcination at 400 °C. The electron microscopy studies revealed that electrospun nanofiber masks changed to dense TFs with an average thickness of 250–290 nm constructed by 10–20 nm connected nanoparticles (NPs). The doping of Al and Cu into ZnO TFs increased the hydrophilicity. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance (EIS), charge-discharge profiles, and Mott-Schottky (M − S) analysis were performed on the samples to evaluate the capacitance performance of pure and doped ZnO TFs. The semiconductor of TFs was n-type. The results confirm that all films can be used as a supercapacitor. Also, our results suggest that Cu-doped ZnO (CZO) TFs are the best choice for a supercapacitor electrode due to their 1.14 F cm−2 areal capacitance at 1 mA cm−2 applied current.

Properties of nanostructured hematite prepared by various coating techniques for potential PEC water splitting applications

In this study, hematite (α-Fe2O3) thin films were synthesized using dip coating and spray pyrolysis techniques on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates, and the morphological, optical, and structural properties of the hematite were studied. Six peaks were identified for both techniques from X-ray diffraction measurements. The (104) and (110) phases which are the main peaks describe the corundum structure of α-Fe2O3 while other peaks further confirm the formation of high purity α-Fe2O3. Raman spectroscopy revealed seven vibrational modes (two A1g and five Eg modes) of α-Fe2O3 were observed within the first Brillouin zone. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed mesoporous hematite nanospheres. The grain sizes were determined by average grain intercept and estimated as 45.8 ± 0.5 and 50.0 ± 0.5 nm respectively for films prepared by spray pyrolysis and dip-coating. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy results showed good absorbance for both techniques with the absorbance onset at 597 nm for dip coated films as compared to onset at 609 nm for spray pyrolysis films. From this work it was determined that coating techniques can affect the grain sizes of hematite films. This could potentially contribute to improved absorption of light for photoelectrochemical water splitting applications.

In situ one step growth of amorphous tin oxide electron transport layer for high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Tin oxide used in electron transport layer (ETL) exhibits key role in transmitting electrons and blocking holes in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) device. However, crystal tin oxide nanoparticles (NPs) become necessary to form SnO2 film by method of spin-coating, resulting in possible surface defect and cracks among SnO2 NPs, corresponding to unsatisfied performance PSCs. Herein, an amorphous tin oxide thin film is creatively in situ grew onto Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) substrate as ETL. The designed solar cell device with structure of FTO/SnO2/MAPbI3/Sprio-OMeTAD/Ag owns a champion photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 17.64%, 76.20% of filling coefficient (FF), and 1.09 V of open-circuit voltage (Voc), in comparing with 16.43%, 64.35% and 1.05 V for control group (crystal tin oxide as ETL), respectively. Besides, the champion device keeps 83.33% of initial PCE under nitrogen (N2) condition for one month, in comparison with 76.09% for control group. This work provides a viable strategy for facile preparing amorphous tin oxide film based ETL in perovskite solar cells.

Improvement of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance using photoanodes based on reduced graphene oxide and ZnO nanotubes

Increasing the visible light efficiency, effective charge separation, and reducing the rate of charge recombination are essential factors in improving the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. To enforce these, herein zinc oxide nanotube arrays hybridized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO/ZnO NTs) are synthesized on the fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by using an electrodeposition technique for surveying PEC water splitting efficiency under visible light. The synthesized photoanodes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky analysis were used to evaluate the PEC performance. The rGO/ZnO NT photoanode shows a high photocurrent density of 0.441 mA/cm2 at 1.8 V vs. RHE compared to other samples. The improved PEC performance of rGO/ZnO NTs is attributed to the prominent role of rGO in more efficient charge separation, band gap reduction, and charge recombination.

Effecting on electrical performance of Methylammonium Lead Chloride Iodide perovskite films composited by reduced graphene oxide for controlling double Schottky barrier

Semiconducting perovskite thin films are cheap to fabricate and can be coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by using simple techniques such as the solution deposition method. In this work, we show that the improved electrical performance of perovskite film produces that of single crystals in an ambient atmosphere. Herein, Methylammonium Lead Chloride Iodide (MAIPbCl2) is played as perovskite films, which were composited with different weight percent (wt%) of rGO from 7 to 10. All samples in this work were presented with physicochemical, electrical, and optical properties. However, the challenge of this work is the electron scattering at the grain boundaries as a result of the double schottky barrier. The best decreasing the double schottky barrier yielded a maximum conductivity of 68.72 ± 0.95 S/cm, a low sheet resistance of 5.47 ± 1.64 Ω, a decrease in the lowest oxygen vacancy, and an increase in the grain size from 27.89 nm (of MAIPbCl2) to 34.96 nm at room temperature for the MAPbCl3-8 wt% rGO composite, which also revealed that this strategy significantly helped to improve the performance of the film. Furthermore, temperature dependence for MAIPbCl2-rGO composites demonstrates this high electrical conductivity from room temperature to 323 K, with highest electrical conductivities of 78.68 ± 0.01 S/cm and the activation energy of 0.18 eV at 313 K for 8 wt% rGO. Therefore, MAIPbCl2-rGO composite films demonstrated the enhancement of performance of MAIPbCl2 films; this is next promising for perovskite films in the future.

Effect of Hydrothermal Reaction Temperature on the Structural and Optical Properties of CuO Thin Films

Copper oxides are one of the first semiconductors studied for device applications. In the present work, CuO thin films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates via hydrothermal method without using any surfactant and the effects of reaction temperature on the properties of the films were studied. CuO thin films deposited at different reaction temperatures were characterized for their structural and optical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Raman spectroscopy, and optical absorption measurements. XRD results revealed that all the films consisted of polycrystalline CuO with a monoclinic crystal structure without any impurity phase. SEM images showed that chrysanthemum-like structures were formed, the number of which increased with increasing hydrothermal reaction temperature. EDAX measurements proved the existence of Cu and O elements and showed that all the films have Cu/O ratios close to unity. The Raman spectra confirmed the formation of crystalline CuO in all the films. From the optical absorption measurements, the direct forbidden energy gap values of the CuO thin films were found to be between 1.34 eV and 1.41 eV, depending on the hydrothermal reaction temperature.

Influence of deposition potential and substrate characteristics on the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of p-SnS absorbing layers

In this study, thin films of tin sulfide (SnS) deposited on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates using Sn-S electrodeposition were systematically investigated. Notably, a novel non-toxic sulfur precursor was employed, emphasizing its role in ensuring the safety and environmental friendliness of the synthesis process. The research was focused on the influence of deposition potential and substrate type on the physical properties of SnS films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis disclosed distinct peaks corresponding to orthorhombic SnS phase planes (101), (111), and (040). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed a uniform distribution of essential components, particularly notable at −0.7 V on ITO and −0.9 V on FTO substrates. Raman spectroscopy identified characteristic peaks at 90 cm−1 and 222 cm−1. UV–visible spectrophotometry highlighted alterations in the optical band gap of SnS films on ITO (1.93 eV to 1.57 eV) and FTO (2.13 eV to 1.98 eV). Mott-Schottky analysis revealed consistent p-type conductivity behavior in the SnS layer, while both ITO and FTO layers exhibited n-type conductivity behavior. This characterization underscores the distinct electronic properties of each layer, providing valuable insights for the development of advanced optoelectronic devices. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) results demonstrated a significant reduction in charge transfer resistance (Rct) of SnS films on ITO at −0.7 V. The solar cell efficiency of the SnS absorber layer reached 2.2% on ITO at −0.7 V, contrasting with 1.47% on FTO at −0.9 V.

The Effect of the Solution Flow and Electrical Field on the Homogeneity of Large-Scale Electrodeposited ZnO Nanorods.

In this paper, we demonstrate the significant impact of the solution flow and electrical field on the homogeneity of large-scale ZnO nanorod electrodeposition from an aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate and ammonium nitrate, primarily based on the X-ray fluorescence results. The homogeneity can be enhanced by adjusting the counter electrode size and solution flow rate. We have successfully produced relatively uniform nanorod arrays on an 8 × 10 cm2 i-ZnO-coated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using a compact counter electrode and a vertical stirring setup. The as-grown nanorods exhibit similar surface morphologies and dominant, intense, almost uniform near-band-edge emissions in different regions of the sample. Additionally, the surface reflectance is significantly reduced after depositing the ZnO nanorods, achieving a moth-eye effect through subwavelength structuring. This effect of the nanorod array structure indicates that it can improve the utilization efficiency of light reception or emission in various optoelectronic devices and products. The large-scale preparation of ZnO nanorods is more practical to apply and has an extremely broad application value. Based on the research results, it is feasible to prepare large-scale ZnO nanorods suitable for antireflective coatings and commercial applications by optimizing the electrodeposition conditions.

The Effect of Electrodeposition Voltage on the Antioxidant Activity of Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are well known as free radical scavengers, which may induce cell damage, triggering degenerative diseases and premature aging. This research aims to assess the antioxidant activity of AuNPs synthesized via the electrodeposition method, employing cyclic voltammetry on a Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) substrate. By varying the initial voltage, the resulting AuNPs exhibit variations in both particle size and number. In this study, AuNPs demonstrated promising antioxidant potential, particularly at an initial voltage of -1 V, as evidenced by their ability to respond to DPPH radicals, yielding a percent inhibition of up to 36.80%.

Blended Copper and Nano-Silver Screen-Printed Circuits on FTO-Coated Glass

Using a mixture of micro-copper and nano-silver in the production of screen-printed circuits has the potential to reduce material costs and cost variability. The fundamental premise of this study involved dispersing silver nanoparticles among the larger copper microparticles at selected ratios and subsequently sintering in order to establish their resultant electrical and physical performance. Commercial materials were mixed, printed, and sintered at two thermal regimes on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrate. The inclusion of 25% silver provided an appreciable reduction in electrical resistance from 4.21 Ω to 0.93 Ω, with further silver additions having less impact. The thermal regime used for sintering had a secondary impact on the final electrical performance. The addition of silver reduced the adhesion to the FTO substrate, with reduced film integrity. The results show that blending inks offers the advantage of enhancing material conductivity while simultaneously reducing costs, making it a compelling area for exploration and advancement in the field of electronics manufacturing.

Internal piezoelectric field produced by tri-component (FTO: Sb-ZnO/MoS2) thin film for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and antibacterial activity

The detection of organic dyes, pharmaceuticals, and microorganisms in the water environment continues to be a major concern worldwide. Hence, we report a novel method whereby a tri-component (Sb-ZnO/MoS2) immobilized on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) substrate for piezo-photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants and bacterial disinfection. To determine the optical, electrochemical, physical, and chemical properties of the Sb-ZnO/MoS2, the following methods were applied, SEM & EDS, TEM, XRD, BET, UV-Vis DRS, PL, EIS and chronoamperometry. The SEM and TEM results showed long ZnO nanorods on the surface of stacked MoS2 nanosheets. Chronoamperometry studies showed that the Sb-ZnO/MoS2 tri-component exhibited a piezoelectric effect under ultrasonic vibration, indicating an internal piezoelectric field for inhibition of electrons and holes from recombination. According to PL studies, Sb-ZnO/MoS2 tri-component had a lower PL emission peak intensity, which suggests a better separation of electrons and holes. The developed tri-component was investigated for its catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) under light and ultrasonic vibration. The coupling of light (photocatalysis) and ultrasonic irradiation (piezocatalysis) showed greater degradation efficiencies of 95, 82, and 72% for MB, MO, and CIP, respectively. The degree of mineralisation was recorded from total organic carbon (TOC) as 76, 70, and 52% for MB, MO, and CIP, respectively. In addition, Sb-ZnO/MoS2 tri-component was shown to have antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus bacterial strains. Therefore, this study reveals that the prepared Sb-ZnO/MoS2 tri-component can be applied for the simultaneous removal of dyes, pharmaceuticals, and disinfection of wastewater pollutants.

Prominent ferroelectric properties in multilayered TiO2 Mn-doped BiFeO3 spin-coated thin films

The study investigates the effects of doping on the leakage current and ferroelectric properties of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin film-based heterostructures. The spin coating method has been employed to deposit thin films of BiFeO3 and heterostructures of TiO2/BiFeO3 and TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates. The ferroelectric behavior of the TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 films exhibited better ferroelectric hysteresis loop compared to the other prepared films. The ferroelectric behavior reveals the TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 heterostructure showed a significantly lower leakage current density compared to both the BiFeO3 thin film and TiO2/BiFeO3 heterostructure, and the TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 heterostructures are likely suitable for solar cell applications. Highlights FTO/TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3/Au heterostructure thin films prepared by spin coating method. Structure and optical properties of TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 heterostructure thin films were investigated. TiO2/BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 heterostructure thin films showed a low optical energy band gap of 2.25 eV. Enhanced ferroelectric property in TiO2 thin film composited with BiFe0.95Mn0.05FeO3 thin films.

Physicochemical Properties of Tungsten Trioxide Photoanodes Fabricated by Wet Coating of Soluble, Particulate, and Mixed Precursors

Advanced oxidation processes are emerging technologies for the decomposition of organic pollutants in various types of water by harnessing solar energy. The purpose of this study is to examine the physicochemical characteristics of tungsten(VI) oxide (WO3) photoanodes, with the aim of enhancing oxidation processes in the treatment of water. The fabrication of WO3 coatings on conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates was achieved through a wet coating process that utilized three different liquid formulations: a dispersion of finely milled WO3 particles, a fully soluble WO3 precursor (acetylated peroxo tungstic acid), and a combination of both (applying a brick-and-mortar strategy). Upon subjecting the WO3 coatings to firing at a temperature of 450 °C, it was observed that their properties exhibited marked variations. The fabricated photoanodes are examined using a range of analytical techniques, including profilometry, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and voltammetry. The experimental data suggest that the layers generated through the combination of particulate ink and soluble precursor (referred to as the brick-and-mortar building approach) display advantageous physicochemical properties, rendering them suitable for use as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical cells.

Rational Design of CoOOH/α-Fe2O3/SnO2 for Boosted Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation: The Roles of Underneath SnO2 and Surface CoOOH.

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) photoanode is a promising candidate for efficient PEC solar energy conversion. However, the serious charge recombination together with the sluggish water oxidation kinetics of α-Fe2O3 still restricts its practical application in renewable energy systems. In this work, a CoOOH/α-Fe2O3/SnO2 photoanode was fabricated, in which the ultrathin SnO2 underlayer is deposited on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, α-Fe2O3 nanorod array is the absorber layer, and CoOOH nanosheet is the surface modifier, respectively. The resulting CoOOH/α-Fe2O3/SnO2 exhibited excellent PEC water splitting with a high photocurrent density of 2.05 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs RHE in the alkaline electrolyte, which is ca. 3.25 times that of bare α-Fe2O3. PEC characterizations demonstrated that SnO2 not only could block hole transport from α-Fe2O3 to FTO substrate but also could efficiently enhance the light-harvesting property and reduce the surface states by controlling the growth process of α-Fe2O3, while the CoOOH overlayer as cocatalysts could rapidly extract the photogenerated holes and provide catalytic active sites for water oxidation. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of SnO2 and CoOOH, the efficiency of the charge recombination and the overpotential for water oxidation of α-Fe2O3 are obviously decreased, resulting in the boosted PEC efficiency for water oxidation. The rational design and simple fabrication strategy display great potentials to be used for other PEC systems with excellent efficiency.

Antibacterial Hydrophilic ZnO Microstructure Film with Underwater Oleophobic and Self-Cleaning Antifouling Properties.

Super-hydrophilic and oleophobic functional materials can prevent pollution or adsorption by repelling oil, and have good circulation. However, traditional strategies for preparing these functional materials either use expensive fabrication machines or contain possibly toxic organic polymers, which may prohibit the practical application. The research of multifunctional ZnO microstructures or nanoarrays thin films with super-hydrophilic, antifouling, and antibacterial properties has not been reported yet. Moreover, the exploration of underwater oleophobic and self-cleaning antifouling properties in ZnO micro/nanostructures is still in its infancy. Here, we prepared ZnO microstructured films on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates (F-ZMF) for the development of advanced self-cleaning type super-hydrophilic and oleophobic materials. With the increase of the accelerators, the average size of the F-ZMF microstructures decreased. The F-ZMF shows excellent self-cleaning performance and hydrophilic (water contact angle ≤ 10°) and oleophobic characteristics in the underwater antifouling experiment. Under a dark condition, F-ZMF-4 showed good antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) with inhibition rates of 99.1% and 99.9%, respectively. This study broadens the application scope of ZnO-based material and provides a novel prospect for the development of self-cleaning super-hydrophilic and oleophobic materials.

Engineering NiO Thin Film Properties using Ag9+ Ion Irradiation at Various Fluences

Abstract The impact of the Ag9+ ion irradiation on the characteristics of nickel oxide (NiO) films with several ion fluences including 1x1012, 1x1013, and 1x1014 ions/cm2 has been studied. These films were deposited over fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate via spin coating technique. Then, structural, optical, vibrational, and electrical characteristics were investigated employing different techniques. The change in the structure due to Ag9+ ion has been studied by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction. A slight improvement in crystalline nature of NiO thin film was observed at 1x1012 ions/cm2 ion fluence that can be understood via thermal spike model A decrement in value of transmission has been observed in the case of all thin films with ion fluence of Ag9+ ion. In addition, it was also observed that samples exposed to Ag9+ ions resulted in reduced intensity of the 1LO and 2LO modes in Raman spectrum. The reduced intensity of the Raman modes indicates the increment in the lattice defects. Further, atomic force microscopy analysis showed that increment in the ion fluences of incident Ag9+ on NiO thin films led to an enhancement in surface roughness. Moreover, the Hall effect measurements were also carried out to examine the electrical characteristics of NiO films.