Trivalent elements doped ZnO thin films growth for potential sensing applications
Marina Manica1,2, Ioan Valentin Tudose3 Oana Brincoveanu 1, Cosmin Romanitan 1, Dumitru Manica1, Raluca Gavrila1, Mirela Petruta Suchea1,3* and Emmanouel Koudoumas1,3*
1 National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies - IMT Bucharest, 126A, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190, Voluntari-Bucharest, ROMANIA;
2 Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomiștilor Street 405, 077125 Măgurele, Ilfov, Romania;
3 Center of Materials Technology and Photonics, School of Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU), 71410 Heraklion, Crete, Greece;
Abstract:
Many studies are dedicated to the growth and characterization of thin films of ZnO doped with different elements, so that various properties can be improved, including electrical, optical, magnetic and photocatalytic etc. The present study concerns trivalent elements doped ZnO thin films, developed using spray pyrolysis onto lime glass substrates, as a cheap and economical alternative to more expensive materials and growth techniques. The materials were synthesized from 0.1 M ZnO(NO3)2 6H2O precursor, and salts of Al, Cr, Fe, La and Sm, as metal ions sources, to obtain 1% dopant concentration into ZnO matrix. The structural and morphological properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV-Vis spectroscopy, so that the effect of similar concentration of each dopant on ZnO properties can be studied. As the aim of this work is to study the effect of trivalent metals as dopants in ZnO lattice for sensing applications, the films, as a next step, will be integrated into various gas sensors, in the ongoing research.
Acknowledgments: This contribution was partially supported by PNRR/2022/C9/MCID/I8 CF23/14 11 2022 contract 760101/23.05.2023 financed by the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization in “Development of a program to attract highly specialized human resources from abroad in research, development, and innovation activities” within the – PNRR-IIIC9-2022 - I8 PNRR/2022/Component 9/investment 8 and partially supported by the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation through the μNanoEl, Cod: 23 07 core Programme.
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