High-quality ZnO Research Articles

Acid-modified CNT/Zinc Oxide nanowires based high performance broadband photodetector

In this study, the authors have reported the impact of post-treatment via exposure to acid on single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) thin film (TF) based SWNT/ZnO Nanowire (NW) broad band photodetector. The ZnO NWs were deposited on SWNT (with and without acid-treated) using a simple catalytic free process called glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. Acid-treated SWNT samples warranted the growth of high quality ZnO NWs over them. On fabricating photodetectors with the acid-treated ZnO NW/SWNT TF heterostructure (HS) gave better device performance as compared to the as-deposited ZnO NW/SWNT TF HS (without acid-treatment) sample. The acid-treated device showed a large responsivity (85.45 A/W), specific detectivity (0.859 × 1012 Jones) and with a low noise equivalent power of 3.9101 pW values. Moreover, the oxygen adsorption–desorption mechanism in SWNTs impacted the electrical resistance of the nanotubes which affected nanotube conductivity. The acid-treatment favoured relatively faster charge separation at the ZnO NW/SWNT heterojunction thus providing a fast device response (trise = 0.11 s, tfall = 0.39 s at + 5 V). The fabricated acid-treated device showed good broad band detection (250 nm-750 nm) which was explained with respect to the optical absorption profile of the sample.

Study on ZnO quantum dot ligands for inkjet printing of light-emitting diodes

Inkjet printing as a contact-free, high material utilization, low cost, patternable solution processing technology, may become the future color quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLED) production of the key technology. However, owing to the existence of the pixel structure of the substrate array, the film prepared by inkjet printing technology is not so smooth and uniform as that by spin coating technology, which affects the luminescence performance of the device. Therefore, it is necessary to study the film forming mechanism and process of inkjet printing. In order to solve the above problems, this paper focuses on the material and process problems of preparing high-quality electronic transport layer ZnO thin films by inkjet printing. From the perspective of ligand, the ZnO quantum dot material, which is an indispensable electron transport layer, is optimized to prepare the thin films with good morphology and stability in air, and the methods to improve the performances of inkjet printing QLED devices are explored. Firstly, the drying process and influence mechanism of ZnO quantum dot ink in air are investigated. As the thickness of ZnO quantum dot film prepared by inkjet printing increases, the film becomes loose and the surface becomes rough with the continuous extension of the time in the air. These changes make the efficiency of the QLED device decrease and the luminous region uneven. The reason for this phenomenon is that after the ZnO quantum dots are printed into the pixel pit, the random Brownian motion of quantum dots will continue in the process of solvent evaporation. In this process, the ligand ethanolamine connected to the surface of ZnO quantum dots will fall off with the movement and cannot play the role in dispersing the quantum dots. Besides, the external water oxygen and carbon dioxide attach to the film. The combination between the two effects makes the ZnO quantum dots aggregate into large particles and the film becomes loose and porous. In this paper, we use ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as ligand to synthesize ZnO quantum dots, which can effectively improve this phenomenon. The carboxyl group at the end of EDTA is more stable in connection with ZnO quantum dots. Moreover, the EDTA has multiple branch chains, which makes it have steric hindrance effect and can disperse ZnO effectively. A smooth and compact film with a roughness of 1.97 nm is prepared by inkjet printing. After 40 min exposure to air, the film is still able to maintain a stable morphology. Then, based on the EDTA-ZnO quantum dots synthesized above, red QLED devices with optimized performance are prepared. The current efficiency of the spin-coating device is 16.8 cd/A, which is better than that of the ZnO quantum dots before modification. The EDTA ligand passivates the surface defects of ZnO, alleviates the quenching phenomenon when contacting red quantum dots, and improves the fluorescence quantum efficiency and transient fluorescence lifetime of quantum dots on the electron transport layer. In addition, the EDTA regulates the carrier transport performance, making the carrier recombination of the device more balanced. In the inkjet printing device, the improvement of device morphology plays a leading role in improving the performance. The inkjet printing QLED based on EDTA-ZnO achieves a current efficiency of 9.24 cd/A, and maintains a current efficiency of 6.82 cd/A after 40 min in air, which are 23% and 89% higher than those of the control device. This work provides a reference for solving the problems of film thickness increase and morphology variation caused by particle agglomeration in the preparation of large area devices in inkjet printing.

An individual ZnO microwire homojunction LED with ultraviolet electroluminescence spectrally purified using Pt nanoparticles cladding

Low-dimensional ultraviolet light sources are enormous significance due to their wide range of potential applications, ranging from bioscience and high-resolution biological imaging, environmental conservation to public hygiene. Nevertheless, developing energy-efficient and cost-efficient light sources still remains serious challenges. In this study, p-type ZnO microwires with Sb-incorporation (ZnO:Sb MWs) were synthesized individually. The p-type conductivity was proofed using an individual MW based back-gated field-effect transistor; while the ZnO:Sb MWs with quadrilateral cross-section exhibited stimulated emission resonant in well-defined Fabry-Perot mode on the benefit of single-crystalline quality and atomically smooth side facets. The newly synthesized ZnO:Sb MW was further used to fabricate homojunction light-emitting device by employing n-type ZnO film as electron-transporting layer. A strong ultraviolet emissions peaking at around 378.5 nm was achieved upon forward biased electrically, but illustrating much broader electroluminescence (EL) linewidth. Introducing Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) with desired plasmons, the light-out intensity is significantly enhanced. Particularly, the broad EL profiles narrowed to about 16.6 nm at high injection regime, achieving electron-holes radiative recombination in the ZnO:Sb MWs active region. The results exhibit a prominent progress achieving high-quality ZnO nano/microstructures with genuine p-type conductivity, which has great hopes for its future applications and development in ZnO homojunction optoelectronic devices.

Numerical Modelling on the Effect of Temperature on MOCVD Growth of ZnO Using Diethylzinc and Tertiarybutanol

The dynamic growth of MOCVD-grown ZnO thin films under temperature effect was systematically investigated by a numerical approach using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. A three-dimensional (3D) reactor-scale model was developed to determine the growth rate and uniformity of ZnO thin film in the temperature range of 593 K to 713 K. The mixed-convection flow and heat transfer inside the reactor chamber were assessed. The results showed that as the temperature increased, ZnO thickness increased initially before decreasing. At 673 K, the highest deposition rate with acceptable uniformity was achieved. The admixture of transverse and longitudinal rolls was observed for the flow conditions. Temperature variations were found to directly affect the axial and lateral uniformity of deposition, but had a minor impact on the size and position of transverse rolls. Experimental verification studies were conducted, and high-quality ZnO films were successfully fabricated by using diethylzinc (DEZn) and tertiarybutanol (t-BuOH) as precursors; it was found that the comprehensive thickness and structural properties of ZnO deposited at temperature of 673 K are preferred. Experimental results and numerical simulations exhibited good agreement.

Growth of ZnO nanowires using thermal oxidation process

Controlled thermal oxidation of thin zinc (Zn) films grown on glass substrate has been performed in an air ambient condition to achieve extremely long and uniform high quality ZnO nanowires. High purity Zn layers were thermally evaporated on ex situ chemically cleaned glass slides at room temperature using a vacuum coater unit under a base pressure < 10-5 mbar. Structural characterization and morphology studies of these thermally oxidized ZnO films using XRD and FESEM techniques. The chemical and optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures have also been tested using a Raman spectroscopy. All findings are complementary to each other and suggest that the oxidation starts at about 400 °C with a severe surface roughening of the Zn film. For lower oxidation temperature (<500 °C) lateral growth of ZnO film is preferred whereas at higher oxidation temperature (above 600 °C) asymmetric growth starts to dominates which finally leads to the formation of ZnO nano-wires of a very high aspect ratio of 1000.

First-principle study on the effect of S/Se/Te doping and VZn-Hi coexistence on ZnO electrical conductivity

Abstract In a vacuum environment, when ZnO is prepared using the chemical vapor deposition method and the molecular beam epitaxial growth method, H-gap impurities inevitably remain in the ZnO system, which is often ignored. The study of Zn vacancies under experimental conditions poses a challenge. Second, as an n-type semiconductor, ZnO is characterized by a self-compensation of natural donor defects and poor stability, which severely limit the acquisition of p-type ZnO. Based on the above problems, the conductive properties of S/Se/Te doped and VZn-Hi coexisting ZnO were investigated by first principle to acquire high-stability and high-quality p-ZnO. The study found that Zn35SO35, Zn35SeO35, and Zn35SHiO35 all have good p-type conductivity, which can effectively improve hole mobility and electrical conductivity. Among them, Zn35SO35 has the largest hole concentration at 2.80×1021 cm−3, as well as the best conductivity. The choice of Zn35SO35 provides a reference for obtaining new high-quality p-type ZnO semiconductors.

Zn dots coherently grown as the seed and buffer layers on Si(111) for ZnO thin film: Mechanism, in situ analysis, and simulation

In conventional ZnO/Si heterostructures, a buffer layer is usually required to compensate the mismatch between the host substrate and the grown thin film. However, poor quality of buffer layers might lead to severe crystalline misorientation and defects. In this work, we demonstrate that collective oxidized Zn dots act as buffer and seed layers for the growth of high surface quality ZnO thin films on Si(111) by rf-sputtering, and we further in situ analyze the structural evolution by reflective second harmonic generation (RSHG). The collective Zn dots grown on Si(111) were oxidized with exposure to ozone gas under proper Ultraviolet-C (UVC) irradiation, and then these ZnO shells formed seed layers to promote the nucleation process for subsequent ZnO thin film growth. Besides, RSHG was performed in situ to observe the net symmetrical dipole contribution at each fabrication steps and analyzed the surface quality of the ZnO thin film. Consistent with the analyses of synchrotron x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, the RSHG results analyzed with simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model fitting revealed that well oxidized Zn dot-embedded ZnO films grown on Si(111) exhibit a 3m-symmetrical surface structure, and that excessive oxidation time led to ZnO2 formation and higher roughness. Our results demonstrate the efficient approach toward high-surface-quality ZnO thin film by rf-sputtering, verifying that the quality of ZnO shell covering Zn dot grown on Si(111) is the focal factor for the sequent ZnO thin film growth.

Understanding the Sensing Mechanism of ZnO Nanoparticles through Identifying Intrinsic Defects

Progress in crystal growth made ZnO applicable as the next generation of inorganic light-emitting diodes and lasers, which has attracted much attention. Our previous work is a proof that Zn vacancies are occupied by three protons to form VZnH3 complexes in high-quality ZnO single crystals. In this work, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies on high-quality ZnO single crystals further confirm that three proton clusters or cations with three positive charges are the intrinsic defects and/or impurities related to doping in the host-lattice of high-quality ZnO single crystals. Unintentionally doped hydrogen (H) clusters might be relating to ZnO’s sensing capabilities. The sensor response of ZnO semiconductors is promoted by a decreasing size; however, the nature of the size effects has not been elucidated satisfactorily. In this work, broccoli-like ZnO nanoarrays, which can detect H2S gas in the parts per billion (ppb) region, has been synthesized under a hydrothermal method. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) experimental results demonstrate that there are multiple polar faces exposed on the surfaces of ZnO nano crystals. The high catalytic active of oxygen species adsorbed on the multiple polar surfaces should respond to the high sensing performance and the high selectivity of ZnO toward reducing H2S gas. However, the enormous variations in electric current cannot be produced by releasing electrical charges from O– adsorbates into semiconductors. EPR results show that Zn+ interstitials have been produced after the reaction between H2S and O– adsorbates on ZnO. In contrast to the unintentionally doped hydrogen (H) clusters, our experimental results show that the Zn+ interstitials acting as shallow donors is what really offer the extra free-electron carriers.

Unfolding the conductivity reversal n- to p-type in phosphorus-doped ZnO thin films by spin-on dopant (SOD) process

Phosphorus doping induced p-type doping in ZnO thin films based on spin-on dopant (SOD) process is reported in this article. Owing to the reduced dependence on the conventional amenities for diffusion/ion-implantation doping, the SOD process provides a simple and cheap doping method. The effect of SOD process temperature on conductivity ZnO thin films is investigated by altering the temperature from 700°C to 1000°C. Systematic field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrates the impact of doping temperature on the morphological properties of SOD. The x-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the p-type ZnO thin films had (002) preferred crystal orientation. At the same time, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy validated the formation of the PZn–2VZn complex, which was responsible for the acceptor behaviour of films. Moreover, the photoluminescence spectra tracked down that the origin of 3.35 and 3.31 eV emission peaks is due to the acceptor bound exciton and free-electron to acceptor level transitions, respectively. Finally, an elevated hole concentration of 2.09 × 1016 cm−3 is achieved with a resistivity of 1.14 Ω-cm at 800°C doping temperature. However, the film doped at 900°C and 1000°C showed n-type behaviour due to the generation of high concentration donor defects. Here, we successfully demonstrate that the SOD process has great potential to produce high-quality p-type ZnO thin films suitable for optoelectronic devices applications.

ZnO Nanowire-Based Piezoelectric Nanogenerator Device Performance Tests

Over the past two decades, the quick development of wireless sensor networks has required the sensor nodes being self-powered. Pushed by this goal, in this work, we demonstrated a ZnO nanowire-array-based piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) prototype, which can convert mechanical energy into electricity. High-quality single crystalline ZnO nanowires, having an aspect ratio of about 15, grown on gold-coated silicon substrate, were obtained by using a low-cost and low-temperature hydrothermal method. The NG-device fabrication process has been presented in detail, and the NG’s performance has been tested in both compression and vibration modes. Peak power of 1.71 µW was observed across an optimal load resistance of 5 MΩ for the ZnO nanowires-based NG, with an effective area of 0.7 cm2, which was excited in compression mode, at 9 Hz, corresponding to ~38.47 mW/cm3 volume-normalized power output. The measured voltage between the top and bottom electrodes was 5.6 V. In vibration mode, at 500 Hz, the same device showed a potential of 1.4 V peak-to-peak value and an instantaneous power of 0.04 μW, corresponding to an output power density of ~0.9 mW/cm3.

Fabrication of robust and highly stable Al2O3 passivated CdS anchored ZnO-Si nanowires: A new paradigm for hierarchical structure and sustainable solar fuel generation

We report sequential fabrication of a three-dimensional hierarchical structure of Al2O3-passivated-CdS-anchored high quality ZnO nanowire (NW) on patterned silicon NWs (Al/CdS/Si-ZnO HNWs) realized using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Further, to improve PEC performance and photostability CdS anchoring and Al2O3 passivation were carried out. The optimally designed 60 CdS/Si-ZnO HNWs showed 25.8-fold (1.79%) enhancement in the photoconversion efficiency at 0.3 V vs Ag/AgCl compared to bare Si-ZnO HNWs (0.069%) along with 47.8-fold enhancement in the photocurrent density (1.42 mA/cm2 at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl). Further to improve the photostability (22.22 h) and reduce the photocorrosion, optimized 60 CdS/ZnO-Si HNWs were passivated using ultrathin Al2O3. Hierarchical assembly plays a key role in achieving the high photoconversion efficiency and photostability. The rationally designed hierarchical NW photoanodes synergistically improves photocurrent and photostability and may initiate facile integration of II-VI material with Si and could open the path for the next generation applications like energy harvesting as well as energy conversion devices.

Structure and defects-related optical properties of highly (002)-oriented zinc oxide thin films

We report on the highly (002)-oriented ZnO thin films deposited on glass substrates at different substrate temperatures using the recently developed pulsed laser deposition (PLD) facility at our institution. Effects of the substrate temperature on the structural, compositional, morphological, and optical properties of the ZnO thin films are studied. The XRD studies revealed the deposition of high-quality ZnO thin films with preferred hexagonal wurtzite structure along the (002) plane above 200 °C substrate temperatures. An increase in the crystallite size estimated using the Scherrer formula from 9.58 nm to 13.25 nm of the deposited thin films reflects the enhancement of the crystallinity with the increasing substrate temperature. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs revealed a smooth surface morphology with small grains for the thin film deposited at room temperature. The thin films deposited at high substrate temperatures showed agglomeration of nanoparticles resulting in nano rod-like structures. The optical band gap energy was found to be increased with an increase in the crystallinity of the thin films. In the photoluminescence (PL) spectra; near band edge (NBE) emissions were observed in all of the deposited thin films. The deep-level emissions of ZnO thin films were found to be highly dependent on the substrate temperature during film deposition. The thin films grown at 500 °C showed the visible emission in blue, green, and yellow-orange regions, which corresponded to zinc vacancy (VZn), oxygen vacancy (VO), and oxygen interstitial (Oi) defect levels, respectively. These crystal defects in the deposited ZnO thin films are responsible for the deep level emission linked to the visible emission.

Processing of SnO2/ZnO Heterostructure by the Sol-Gel Technique for Photocatalytic Applications

The construction of a SnO2 and ZnO thin film heterostructure is an efficient way to improve the photocatalytic properties of ZnO. However, the current techniques to produce it, for instance, chemical and physical vapor deposition are expensive and therefore not affordable for everyone. Several efforts have been made in order to obtain high quality thin films with lower cost using sol-gel base techniques. The aim of this work is to process high quality and low-cost SnO2 and ZnO thin film heterostructures supported on glass. The thin films were deposited by the spin coating method. The samples obtained were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-Vis and FTIR. The thin film heterostructure exhibits homogeneous size nanoparticles (10~50 nm) that conform the surface and uniform submicronic thickness. High values of optical transmission >80% were measured for the heterostructure in the range (380-740 nm). The band gap of Eg 3.25 and 3.69 eV were obtained from Tauc’s plot.

Characterization of low-temperature-grown ZnO nanoparticles: The effect of temperature on growth

The growth temperature of semiconducting nanoparticles is well known to be an essential factor in determining their structure and quality of characteristics. To create high-quality ZnO nanostructures, it is critical to optimize the growth temperature. The sol-gel approach is used to render ZnO NPs at different growth temperatures in this report. The influence of growth temperature on the material properties of ZnO nanoparticles has been extensively investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show needle-like structures when synthesized at low temperatures (35 and 45 °C) that transformed into spherical particles as the temperature of the growing medium increased to 75 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis displays an increase in crystallinity with annealing temperatures. The average crystallite sizes of ZnO nanoparticles rose with increasing growth temperature and varied from 28 to 34 nm. The XRD peaks positions shift slightly towards lower 2θ angles with the growth temperatures brought about by a change in lattice parameters. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study revealed the presence of a Z–O bond at around 680 cm−1. The intensity of the defect level emission (DLE) band decreased, as the growth temperature exceeded 35 °C. The photoluminescence (PL) study further demonstrated that the prepared nanoparticles had a strong emission peak at 546 nm. PL measurements confirm that with increasing growth temperature, the excitonic peak intensity increases, indicating that the quality of ZnO nanoparticles improves. The estimated bandgap changed from 3.31 to 3.24 eV with the growth temperature.

Regrowth of ZnO nanorods via VC-FTFA method and the effect of oxidation of ZnCl2 and InCl3 vapors on the photoresponse rate, photosensitivity, and stability

In this study, we fabricated high-quality In-doped ZnO (IZO) nanorods (NRs) by regrowing ZnO NRs via vapor-confined face-to-face annealing (VC-FTFA) method with IZO films and verified the effect of oxidation of chloride vapor generated during the annealing process on the photoresponse properties. ZnCl2 and InCl3 vapors were generated at temperatures below 400 °C and subsequently decomposed to Zn2+, In3+, and Cl−, respectively. The ZnO NRs regrown to form high-quality IZO NRs as a result of the Zn and In vapors. The regrowth mechanism for the IZO NRs is a vapor-solid mechanism in which NRs grow into films via the oxidation of the Zn and In vapors and their subsequent condensation. The ZnO NRs regrown using the VC-FTFA method exhibited improved crystallinity in comparison to the hydrothermally grown ZnO NRs and also exhibited an increased near-band-edge emission intensity. An ultraviolet (UV) photodetector based on the regrown IZO NRs exhibited an increased photoresponse rate alongside excellent stability and reproducibility in comparison to a UV photodetector based on hydrothermally grown ZnO NRs. Therefore, the proposed method can form a facile approach for the fabrication of fast-response UV photodetectors exhibiting significant photosensitivity and photocurrent stability.

Nanophotonic-structured front contact for high-performance perovskite solar cells

We report the design of a nanophotonic metal-oxide front contact aimed at perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to enhance optoelectronic properties and device stability in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light. High-quality Cr-doped ZnO film was prepared by industrially feasible magnetron sputter deposition for the electron transport layer of PSCs. As a means, the influence of the Cr content on the film and device was systematically determined. In-depth device optics and electrical effects were studied using advanced three-dimensional opto-electrical multiphysics rigorous simulations, optimizing the front contact for realizing high performance. The numerical simulation was validated by fabricating PSCs optimized to reach high performance, energy conversion efficiency (ECE) = 17.3%, open-circuit voltage (VOC) = 1.08 V, short-circuit current density (JSC) = 21.1 mA cm−2, and fill-factor (FF) = 76%. Finally, a realistic front contact of nanophotonic architecture was proposed while improving broadband light absorption of the solar spectrum and light harvesting, resulting in enhanced quantum efficiency (QE). The nanophotonic PSC enables JSC improvement by ∼17% while reducing the reflection by 12%, resulting in an estimated conversion efficiency over 23%. It is further demonstrated how the PSCs’ UV-stability can be improved without considerably sacrificing optoelectronic performances. Particulars of nanophotonic designed ZnO:Cr front contact, PSCs device, and fabrication process are described.

Electrodeposited Zn: A promising alternative to ZnO seed layer for hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanowire array

The seed layer consisting of ZnO nanoparticles has long been recognized as the primary option for hydrothermal growth of high-quality ZnO nanowire arrays (ZnO NWAs). Herein, we provide an additional option, i.e., the electrodeposited Zn nano-grains, which can also grow into ZnO nanowires in hydrothermal environment. Remarkably, the nanocrystalline Zn coating can be facilely deposited on various conductive substrates under ambient conditions, while its minimum temperature required for growing ZnO NWAs is only 50 °C. Therefore, it is an ideal alternative to the cost-intensive and energy-consuming ZnO seed layer for industrial-scale production of ZnO NWAs.

Electrochemical degradation of methyl red in zinc hydroxide and zinc oxide thin films, physical and chemical activation

The experimental and ab initio results on structural, optical, and electronic properties of Zn(OH)2 and ZnO thin films (TFs) at various annealing temperatures are reported. The as-grown TF consists of Zn(OH)2 while annealing them at temperatures higher than 300 °C yields high-quality ZnO. The films were highly crystallized in a hexagonal structure with (200) orientation by XRD analysis. The evaluated optical band gap energies of Zn(OH)2 and ZnO TFs were 3.955 and 3.286 eV, respectively, and agree well with Vienna ab initio hybrid functional HSE06 density of states calculations. The material activation of ZnO and Zn(OH)2 TFs in electrochemical degradation catalyses of methyl red in water proven that ZnO TFs have higher decolourization efficiency than Zn(OH)2 TFs. The electrochemical circuit used was performed under experimental conditions of 12 V voltage difference and 0.3 A current.

Optical Characterization of High-Quality Zno (0002) / Cu (111) Epilayers Grown by Electrodeposition

Optical Characterization of High-Quality Zno (0002) / Cu (111) Epilayers Grown by Electrodeposition

Fabrication of graphene\u2013ZnO heterostructure-based flexible and thin platform-based UV detector

This work presents the performance evaluation of Graphene/ZnO Schottky junctions grown on flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The fabricated structures include chemical vapour deposition grown graphene layer on ITO-coated PET substrates. Polymethyl methacrylate assisted transfer method has been employed for the successful transfer of graphene from Cu substrate to PET. The smaller D-band intensity (1350 cm−1) compared to G-band (1580 cm−1) indicates good quality of carbon lattice with less number of defects. High-quality ZnO has been deposited through RF sputtering. The deposited ZnO with grain size 50–95 nm exhibited dislocation densities of 1.31270 × 10–3 nm−2 and compressive nature with negative strain of − 1.43156 GPa. Further, the electrical and optical characterization of the devices has been done through device I–V characterization and UV detection analysis. The UV detection capability of the device has been carried out with the aid of a UV-lamp of 365 nm wavelength. The fabricated graphene/ZnO photodetector showed good response to UV illumination. The device performance analysis has been done through a comparison of the device responsivity and detectivity with the existing detectors. The detectivity and responsivity of the fabricated detectors were 7.106 × 109 mHz1/2 W−1 and 0.49 A W−1, respectively.