Spray Pyrolysis Technique Research Articles

Preparation and properties of Cu2MgSnS4 thin films and fabrication of heterojunction devices

Abstract Copper based chalcogenides have garnered growing importance in the area of thin film photovoltaics. Cu2MgSnS4 (CMTS) is one of the newest materials in this family of materials. It is a p-type material which find multiple applications in the field of photovoltaics. Cu2MgSnS4 thin films were deposited onto soda lime glass substrates using automated vacuum spray pyrolysis technique at a substrate temperature of 300 °C and annealed at different temperatures from 300 °C to 375 °C in steps of 25°C. The structural, elemental, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the material were studied. X-Ray Diffraction studies showed that annealing eliminates impurity phases and improves crystallinity. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy studies showed improved grain size and uniform deposition of the films. The energy bandgap of the as-prepared film is 2.02 eV and that of annealed films are around 2.5 eV. Hall measurements show that the material exhibit p-type conductivity with high value of conductivity, mobility and bulk concentration. Heterojunction devices were fabricated with chemical bath deposited CdS as a buffer layer and spray deposited Aluminium doped Zinc Oxide (Al:ZnO) as n-layer. Silver contacts were placed as electrodes over the top layer. The fabricated device architecture is <FTO/AZO/CdS/CMTS/Ag>. The junction parameters including rectification ratio, knee voltage, series resistance and Ideality factor of all the devices are calculated. The device annealed at 375 °C showed an ideality factor of 2.23, which is the best among all the fabricated devices.

Zirconia encrusted ceramic composite membrane for uremic toxins removal: Fabrication and assessment of biocompatibility

In this study, tubular zirconia composite membranes (ZM1-ZM3) were developed using low-cost tubular substrate which was prepared utilizing naturally available clay materials by an extrusion approach. The zirconia nanoparticles were encrusted on a low-cost tubular substrate using spray pyrolysis technique. The membranes were investigated for their biocompatibility in addition to pore size, chemical stability, water permeability, porosity, contact angle, thermogravimetric (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Water permeability, pore size and porosity of optimized membrane (ZM3) were 3.05 × 10-4 ± 0.03 L.m-2.h-1.Pa-1, 119 ± 0.57 nm and 36 ± 0.12 %, respectively. Platelets adhesion and protein adsorption were measured to be 4630 ± 46 platelets.mm-2, and 1.05 ± 0.02 μg.cm-2 respectively, while the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were 80 ± 0.51 s and 27 ± 0.26 s, respectively. Complement activation C3 and C4 concentrations were assessed to be 76.2 ± 0.88 mg.dL-1 and 21.57 ± 0.80 mg.dL-1, respectively and hemolysis ratio was 0.31 ± 0.01 %. Moreover, the membrane had a considerable antifouling nature with a flux recovery ratio of 89.22 ± 0.58 %. Protein retention was found to be 81.14 ± 0.58 %, in addition to outstanding sieving coefficients of uremic toxins like urea (0.95 ± 0.005), creatinine (0.93 ± 0.004), and phosphate (0.90 ± 0.004). These findings suggest that the produced tubular zirconia composite membrane has the potency for hemofiltration.

SnO2 and Sn0.95M0.05O2 [M=Fe, Co and Cu] thin films: synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity

On discussed the relationship between the nature of dopant (Cu, Co, Fe)-SnO2 and their structural, morphological, optical, electrical, and photocatalysts characteristics. We prepared the films on glass substrates using the spray pyrolysis technique. Detailed analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that all obtained thin films crystallized in a rutile tetragonal structure. A homogeneous and compact surface with an important dimension of grains was revealed by observation (SEM) for the doped films. The transmittance spectra results indicated that the layers are dependent on the doping nature and that the doping leads to a broadening of the calculated bandgap. Lastly, the Seebeck coefficient rises from │76│for undoped SnO2 to │110│for Co-doping, │133│for Cu-doping, and declines with Fe- doping (│71│µV/K). While the concentration of carriers decreases by 1.96×10¹⁹, 9.80×10¹⁸, and 6. 66×10¹⁸ cm-³ for SnO2, Sn0.95Co0.05O2, and Sn0.95 Cu 0.05O2 thin films, respectively, and increased for Fe doping (6.17 ×10¹⁹ cm-³). These electrical properties indicated that the resistivity is affected by the nature of the doping. For the photocatalytic tests, the best performance was observed for samples Sn0.90Fe0.05 O2 (45% rate of degradation).

Remarkable reactions of doped and Co-doped Co3O4 thin films synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique for enhanced catalytic degradation of methylene blue dye under sun light irradiation

Remarkable reactions of doped and Co-doped Co3O4 thin films synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique for enhanced catalytic degradation of methylene blue dye under sun light irradiation

Effect of experimental conditions on the fabrication of SnO2 thin films via spray pyrolysis technique

Effect of experimental conditions on the fabrication of SnO2 thin films via spray pyrolysis technique

Enhanced optoelectronic properties of spray deposited antimony-doped tin oxide thin films

Antimony-doped tin oxide (Sb:SnO2) thin films with varying Sb concentrations were deposited using the spray pyrolysis technique. A comprehensive analysis of the films' elemental, structural, and optoelectronic properties is presented. All films possess a polycrystalline single-phase nature and have a tetragonal rutile structure. As Sb concentration increases, the unit cell shrinks continuously, suggesting proper substitution of Sn4+ by Sb5+. This substitution causes a continuous increase in the concentration of charge carriers and a reduction in electron mobility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations revealed the presence of asymmetric Sn 3d core-level peaks distinguished by peak splitting, which increases with increasing carrier concentration. Utilizing the plasmon absorption model, an effective mass value of (0.51 ± 0.07)me for the conduction electron at the fermi level is obtained. With increasing Sb concentration, the optical energy gap increases gradually from 3.84 eV for undoped SnO2 to 4.35 eV for 5.0 at. % Sb. After considering the Urbach tailing phenomenon as well as the Moss–Burstein effect, this increase was attributed to the increase in Moss–Burstein energy due to increased charge carrier concentration. Our study revealed that the film doped with 2.0 at. % Sb has the best optoelectronic properties, with a figure of merit of 4.18 (Ω/cm2)−1.

Supercapacitor performance of pure and Ni-doped CuO electrodes prepared by USP

Abstract In this study, the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) technique was employed to fabricate pure and 3% Ni-doped copper oxide (CuO) thin films (TFs) on In2O3/SnO2 (ITO) coated glass substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that both pure and 3% Ni-doped CuO TFs exhibit a polycrystalline structure with the tenorite phase oriented preferentially along the (111) plane. The morphological properties of these TFs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed that the deposited TFs achieved the desired stoichiometry. The electrochemical properties of both pure and 3% Ni-doped CuO TFs were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). At a current density of 1 A g−1, the specific capacitance of pure CuO TFs was found to be 78 F g−1, decreasing to 2 F g−1 at 10 A g−1. In contrast, Ni-doped CuO TFs exhibited a specific capacitance of 722 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and 20 F g−1 at 10 A g−1. These results indicate that Ni-doping significantly enhances the specific capacitance values. The superior performance of Ni-doped CuO electrodes is attributed to their uniformly high porosity and improved electrical conductivity, demonstrating Ni-doped CuO as an optimal electrode material for pseudocapacitors.

Preparation and Characterization of Nanostructured ITO Thin Films by Spray Pyrolysis Technique: Dependence on Annealing Temperature

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) like Indium tin oxide (ITO) have wide attention from all scientists which have low resistance and high visible light transmittance, used as transparent electrodes in many optoelectronic devices such as liquid crystal displays, touch screens, light emitting diodes, and solar cells. In this research, the relationship between the crystallization, optical transmittance, and surface roughness of nanostructured ITO thin films and the change in annealing temperature was investigated. To enhance the efficiency of this material in optoelectronic applications, both the optical transmittance in the visible region and the crystallite size must be increased. These results can be obtained by the heat treatment of the films. Nanostructured ITO thin layer films have been successfully prepared at a substrate temperature equal to (350)℃ by chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) technique. The physical characterizations of nanostructured ITO thin layer films were investigated at different annealing temperatures (400,450 and 500)℃. The presence of diffraction peaks indicates that the as-deposited and post annealed films are polycrystalline cubic structure and the peak (400) is a preferred growth orientation. For all samples the value of intensity of diffraction peaks increases with increasing substrate temperature. The crystallite size of nanostructured ITO thin films is strongly related to the annealing temperature. The crystallite size estimated from XRD was found to rise with rising annealing temperature. The surface roughness of nanostructured ITO thin layer films increases with rising annealing temperature. High values of transmittance have been measured in the visible region 550 nm equal to (70, 82, 84 and 88)% corresponding to annealing temperature (350,400,450 and 500)℃ respectively.

Defect induced persistence photoconductivity in spray pyrolyzed ZnO thin films: Impact of Sm3+doping

The persistent photoconductivity of the rare earth ion doped ZnO is an emerging field. The present work focuses on the effect of samarium (Sm3+) ion doping on the persistence photo response behaviour ZnO host matrix. The Zn1-xSmxO (x = 0.0 to 0.10) thin films were deposited on chemically cleaned glass substrates using spray pyrolysis technique. The films showed polycrystalline nature and hexagonal wurtzite structure without any impurity peaks. The Zn0.93Sm0.07O films showed maximum crystallite size of 24.2 nm and minimum dislocation density. The gradual change in the thickness of the fibrous nature was observed with the addition of Sm3+ ions into ZnO lattice. Energy dispersive analysis of x-ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of elements and its oxidation states in the deposited film respectively. The area under the curve of deconvoluted photoluminescence spectra of deposits confirmed the decrease in the various defect percentage with increase in the doping concentration of Sm3+ ions. The photoluminescence spectra of Zn0.93Sm0.07O films showed maximum near band edge emission and minimum defects. The Zn0.93Sm0.07O films showed higher carrier concentration of 1 × 1017 cm−3, mobility 32 cm2/Vs and lower resistivity of 1 × 102 Ω cm due to improved film quality. The Zn0.93Sm0.07O films exhibited the current value under dark and ultraviolet light illumination was in the range of 10−6 A and 10−4 A respectively. The maximum photocurrent was noticed at 375 nm which corresponds to the bandgap of the deposited films. The Zn0.93Sm0.07O films showed faster photo response (5 s and 131 s of response and recovery time) due to the presence of minimum trap states. Hence the Zn0.93Sm0.07O films can be used in the fabrication of light dependent resistors and ultraviolet sensors.

Effect of substrate temperature on In2S3 thin films using nebulizer spray pyrolysis method for photodetector applications

In this work, Indium Sulfide (In2S3) thin films were prepared using an economical nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique by various substrate temperatures from 250 °C to 375 °C in steps of 25 °C to evaluate their photo sensing properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm the presence of In2S3 with face centered cubic structure for all substrate temperatures. The densely packed small spherical grain-sized particles were observed for In2S3 films deposited at 350 °C using Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis. The optical bandgap values were decreased from 3.16 eV to 2.28 eV, with increment in coating temperatures from 250 °C to 350 °C. The high intensity Photoluminescence (PL) peak is observed at 480 nm for the film coated at 350 °C is due to higher rate of electron–hole pair recombination. The photo sensing analysis revealed that the In2S3 thin films deposited at 350 °C, has the maximum responsivity (R) of 9.09 × 10−2 A W−1, detectivity (D*) of 8.25 × 1010 Jones, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 21.2%. Increasing the substrate temperature results in a significant enhancement of photo sensing characteristics.

Chemical spray pyrolysis deposited ZnO/ZIF-8 and cobalt doped ZnO/ZIF-8 composite thin films for highly sensitive and selective ammonia sensing at room temperature

ZnO is a widely studied metal oxide for gas sensor applications concerning its biocompatibility and physio-chemical properties. However, the high operating temperature and low response are drawbacks. ZIF-8, the metal-organic framework of Zinc and imidazolate, is renowned for its gas adsorption property. The poor stability of ZIF-8 also limits its application as an effective gas sensor. Thus, a composite thin film of ZnO and ZIF-8 is deposited on a glass substrate using the chemical spray pyrolysis technique to detect ammonia at room temperature (300 K). The composite thin film is stable, has a good response, and is repeatable. Further, to enhance the sensor response at room temperature, Co is doped to the ZnO/ZIF-8 composite thin films. The sensor response for 1 ppm of ammonia for the Co doped ZnO/ZIF-8 is 301 at room temperature. Along with the gas adsorption capability of ZIF-8 providing more active sites, the change in morphology from flakes to spherical grains on doping with Co provided higher active surface area and free electrons and all together instigated fast redox reaction and conduction mechanism in ZnO. Hence, the Co doped ZnO/ZIF-8 composite thin films have an enhanced response of 117,285 to 50 ppm of ammonia.

Structural and Optical Properties of Cobalt-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Prepared By Spray Pyrolysis Technique

Undoped and Co-doped zinc oxide (CZO) thin films have been prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using solution of zinc acetate and cobalt chloride. The effect of Co dopants on structural and optical properties has been investigated. The films were found to exhibit maximum transmittance (~90%) and low absorbance. The structural properties of the deposited films were examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD). These films, deposited on glass substrates at (400? C), have a polycrystalline texture with a wurtzite hexagonal structure, and the grain size was decreased with increasing Co concentration, and no change was observed in lattice constants while the optical band gap decreased from (3.18-3.02) eV for direct allowed transition. Other parameters such as Texture Coefficient (Tc), dislocation density (?) and number of crystals (M) were also calculated .

Optimizing deposition parameters and characterizing TiO2 thin films for future memristor applications

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films were deposited on glass substrates using Spray Pyrolysis technique, with variations in multiple deposition parameters. The molarity of the precursor was altered within a small range from 0.09 M–0.15 M. The deposition temperature was systematically adjusted from 200 °C to 400 °C while the ratio between precursor and chelating agent varied between 1:1,1:2 and 1:3. The thickness of TiO2 films were found to be in the range of 216 nm to 14.9 μm. Structural analysis conducted by XRD confirmed the formation of anatase TiO2 thin films. Optical studies using UV-Visible spectrophotometer determined the absorption and indirect bandgap ranging from 299 nm to 326 nm and 3.08 eV to 3.44 eV respectively. Electrical studies carried out evaluated the leakage currents and DC resistivity for all individual films with the input voltage applied from ± 0.5 V to ± 5V. Impedance studies were conducted by varying input voltages from 0.2V–3V for each film, so as to examine the resultant impedance, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, conductivity, admittance and modulus spectra. The obtained results were analysed to optimise the deposition parameters for designing future memristors with specific individual or combined characteristics, such as high ON/OFF, switching speed, endurance and retention.

Effect of different metallic doping elements on the physical properties of iron oxide thin films

This study investigates the physical properties of pure and Co, Cr, Mn, and Ni-doped Fe2O3 thin films fabricated using spray pyrolysis techniques on glass substrates. The primary aim is to understand how doping influences the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of Fe2O3 thin films. The deposition parameters were kept constant for all samples, with a fixed dopant concentration of 3 weight percent (wt%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed a single diffraction peak indexed as (104), decreasing in crystallite size from 17.27 nm for the pure film to approximately 11.5 nm for all doped films. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images displayed non-homogeneous grain formation, characterized by an average grain size larger than the crystallite size, indicating agglomeration. The optical band gap value shifted from 2.54 eV for the pure film to higher values upon doping with various elements, signifying direct allowed transitions. Changes in refractive index dispersion with wavelength were observed based on the dopant type. The application of the Spitzer-Fan model revealed an increase in high-frequency dielectric constant upon doping compared to the pure film, varying across different dopants. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra recorded under excitation at 340 nm exhibited multiple emission peaks within the spectral range of 399 to 600 nm.

Optical properties of CdO thin films

Cadmium Oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis technique at different temperatures (300,350,400, 500)oC. The optical properties of the films were studied in this work. The optical band-gap was determined from absorption spectra, it was found that the optical band-gap was within the range of (2.5-2.56)eV also width of localized states and another optical properties.

Characterization and Ambient Temperature Hydrogen Sulfide Sensing of Annealed NiO-MnO₂ Thin Films Prepared via Jet Nebulizer Spray Pyrolysis

A jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique to synthesize NiO-MnO2 thin films was demonstrated. These nanosheets were annealed at 350, 450 and 550 °C for 2 hours. The thin films surface morphology and structure were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, XRD, and UV spectroscopy. Subsequently, utilized as gas sensors for the detection of hydrogen sulphide gas. The introduction of NiO into MnO2 nanosheets significantly improved the gas-sensing performance. Notably, the gas-sensing response of the NiO-MnO2 nanosheet sensor surpassed that of both NiO and MnO2 alone, reaching a notable value of 165 when detecting 100 ppm hydrogen sulfide gas with the NiO-MnO2 thin film sensor. A remarkable feature of the NiO-MnO2 thin film sensor is its accelerated response time, registering at 10 seconds when exposed to 100 ppm of hydrogen sulfide gas. The mechanism underlying gas sensing and the factors contributing to the enhanced gas response of NiO-MnO2 thin film is thoroughly discussed. From a broader perspective, these developed sensors present a novel platform for the identification and monitoring of hydrogen sulfide gas, showcasing significant advancements in gas-sensing technology.

Investigation of the Annealing and Cu Doping Effect on Structural and Optical Properties of CdZnS Nanomaterial Deposited by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis

This study investigates doped CdZnS thin films synthesized through the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique, followed by annealing at temperatures of 400 and 500 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that both undoped CdZnS and Cu-doped CdZnS thin films exhibit cubic crystal structures, with a preferred orientation along the (111) plane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements indicated that the CdZnS thin film has a smooth surface, whereas the Cu-doped CdZnS film shows clustered particles, attributed to the effect of copper doping acting as an activator metal ion. Electron dispersive scanning (EDS) analysis confirmed that the Cd, Zn, and S elements are present in acceptable chemical stoichiometry (Cd + Zn/S = 1:1), with a ratio of 3:1, consistent with the molar amounts used in the precursor solutions. The band gap of the CdZnS thin film decreased from 3.12 to 2.56 eV after annealing at 500 °C, attributed to an increase in crystal size. In contrast, the band gap of the Cu-doped CdZnS thin film decreased from 2.51 to 2.22 eV, lower than that of pure CdZnS, due to the formation of additional phases such as zinc oxide and copper oxide within the CdZnS host structure during annealing.

Physical properties of La:ZnO thin films prepared at different thicknesses using spray pyrolysis technique

Herein we investigate the impact of film thickness on the physical properties of Lanthanum (La) doped ZnO thin films. The films were fabricated using the spray pyrolysis technique with a consistent La content of 5 weight (wt) % in the initial solution. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the presence of a hexagonal ZnO phase with preferred orientation along the (002) direction and no other phases were detected. The crystallite sizes were calculated using the Halder-Wagner equation, with a maximum size of 16.1 nm observed for a film thickness of 106 nm. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images revealed the formation of a continuous film with an average grain size that increased as the thickness of the film increased. The grain size ranged from 74.5 to 136 nm as the film thickness varied from 106 to 426 nm. Films with lower thicknesses up to 196 nm exhibited two band gaps at approximately 3.2 and 4 eV, while films with higher thicknesses displayed a single band gap around 3.2 eV. The refractive index dispersion for all films was modeled using the Cauchy model, with parameters showing high dependence on the thickness values.The refractive index at high frequency, as calculated using the Cauchy model, was observed to decrease with increasing film thickness, ranging from 1.87 at 106nm to 1.63 at 426nm. Similar values were obtained by fitting the optical refractive index data with the Wemple-DiDomenico relation. Additionally, the UV sensing performance of the films was evaluated against UV light of a single wavelength (365 nm) at applied voltages of 10, 20, and 30V. The rise and decay times were measured, with the film thickness of 426 nm exhibiting the shortest rise and decay times at a specific applied voltage.

Enhanced gas sensing performance of ZnO and Pt-doped ZnO nanostructured films by chemical spray pyrolysis

This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of zinc oxide (ZO) and platinum-doped zinc oxide (Pt-ZO) nanostructured thin films using the chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Structural and morphological properties of the films were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). To understand the semiconducting nature and carrier dynamics, UV-Vis spectroscopy, electrical conductivity measurements, and a static gas sensing system were employed. The films exhibited crystallization in the hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferred orientation along the (002) plane. FESEM images revealed the presence of small bright particles, particularly abundant in the 5 wt% Pt-doped ZO thin film, indicating the presence of platinum catalysts. Electrical conductivity measurements confirmed the semiconducting nature of the films. Optical parameters such as band gap and absorption index were obtained from UV-Vis spectroscopy. Gas sensing performance towards liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) showed that the 5 wt% Pt-doped ZO thin film exhibited a high response (69.9) to a 50 ppm concentration of LPG at 350 °C. The gas response and recovery times were observed to be 8 s and 12 s, respectively. These results are attributed to interactions between LPG molecules and adsorbed oxygen species on the sensor surface. Platinum atoms on the oxide surface facilitate the formation of oxygen vacancies and the dissociation of oxygen molecules at low temperatures, leading to increased adsorption and reaction with LPG molecules. This results in significant changes in the sensor's resistance, thereby amplifying the sensor response. The findings demonstrate the potential of Pt-doped ZO thin films for practical gas sensing applications.

A facile route derived solar selective nickel-cobalt oxide thin films via spraying process

Abstract This work focuses on understanding the role of annealing temperature on the solar selective performance of nickel-cobalt oxide thin films successfully sprayed onto Al substrates using the spray pyrolysis technique. The synthesized nickel-cobalt oxide thin films (~ 725± 20 nm thick) were post annealed at (400, 500 and 600) °C. The XRD and FESEM outcomes appeared high crystalline quality with crystal grains in the range of (27 – 52) nm and improved surface morphology for the sprayed thin films. The optical properties reflect solar absorptance ~ (85.2 %) and the thermal emittance ~ (4.45 %). The hardness and the Young’s modulus were (19.1 GPa) and (104 GPa) respectively. The aforementioned results are for the film annealed at 600 °C. The prepared and post annealed nickel-cobalt oxide thin films show band gap energies in the range of (1.15 – 1.38) eV. The nickel-cobalt oxide thin films also possess excellent thermal stability at higher temperature which makes them interesting candidate for solar absorbing and thermal collector applications.