Room-temperature deposition of crystalline patterned ZnO films by confined dewetting lithography

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 256; no. 11; pp. 3386 - 3389
• Main Authors: Sepulveda-Guzman, S., Reeja-Jayan, B., De la Rosa, E., Ortiz-Mendez, U., Reyes-Betanzo, C., Cruz-Silva, R., Jose-Yacaman, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.03.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Confined dewetting lithography; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Microcontact printing; Nano-patterning; Physics; ZnO nanoparticles; Nano-patterning; ZnO nanoparticles; Microcontact printing; Confined dewetting lithography; Nanoparticles; Patterning; Inorganic compounds; Lithography; Transition element compounds; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.12.039

In this work patterned ZnO films were prepared at room-temperature by deposition of ∼5 nm size ZnO nanoparticles using confined dewetting lithography, a process which induces their assembly, by drying a drop of ZnO colloidal dispersion between a floating template and the substrate. Crystalline ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a strong visible (525 nm) light emission upon UV excitation ( λ = 350 nm). The resulting films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The method described herein presents a simple and low cost method to prepare crystalline ZnO films with geometric patterns without additional annealing. Such transparent conducting films are attractive for applications like light emitting diodes (LEDs). As the process is carried out at room temperature, the patterned crystalline ZnO films can even be deposited on flexible substrates.