Controlling growth rate anisotropy for formation of continuous ZnO thin films from seeded substrates

• Published in: Nanotechnology Vol. 24; no. 19; p. 195603
• Main Authors: Zhang, R H, Slamovich, E B, Handwerker, C A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 17.05.2013; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis methods; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Growth from solutions; Materials science; Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Crystal growth; Zinc nitrate; Growth rate; High density; Polycrystals; Crystal seeds; Thin films; Nanoparticles; Transparent thin film; Lamellar structure; Chlorides; Crystal growth from solutions; Zinc oxide; Absorption spectra; Optical films; Crystal morphology; Nanomaterial synthesis; pH value; Active layer; Lateral growth; Layer thickness; Operating conditions; Hydrolysis; Hydrothermal synthesis; Adsorption; Anisotropy; Ligands; Arrays; Nanostructured materials; Gates
• ISSN: 0957-4484; 1361-6528
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/19/195603

Solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are promising candidates for low-temperature-processable active layers in transparent thin film electronics. In this study, control of growth rate anisotropy using ZnO nanoparticle seeds, capping ions, and pH adjustment leads to a low-temperature (90 ° C) hydrothermal process for transparent and high-density ZnO thin films. The common 1D ZnO nanorod array was grown into a 2D continuous polycrystalline film using a short-time pure solution method. Growth rate anisotropy of ZnO crystals and the film morphology were tuned by varying the chloride (Cl−) ion concentration and the initial pH of solutions of zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), and the competitive adsorption effects of Cl− ions and HMTA ligands on the anisotropic growth behavior of ZnO crystals were proposed. The lateral growth of nanorods constituting the film was promoted by lowering the solution pH to accelerate the hydrolysis of HMTA, thereby allowing the adsorption effects from Cl− to dominate. By optimizing the growth conditions, a dense ∼100 nm thickness film was fabricated in 15 min from a solution of [Cl−] [Zn2+] = 1.5 and pH= 4.8 ± 0.1. This film shows >80% optical transmittance and a field-effect mobility of 2.730 cm2 V−1 s−1 at zero back-gate bias.