Effect of steamed ammonia on the properties of ZnO thin films

We developed a simple and effective method to improve the properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. ZnO thin films were post-treated by ammonia vapor, and the properties such as phase composition, morphology, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated. The results confirmed the addition of nitrogen (N) to the film after the ammonia water vapor treatment, and the oxygen vacancy defects of the ZnO thin films were decreased. The morphological analyses revealed that the grain distribution and grains were well dispersed in the samples after the ammonia water vapor treatment, but the ZnO crystal structure showed a non-significant change. The particle size of ZnO thin films slightly increased, and the light transmittance of ZnO thin films increased from 79.17 to 80.02%. The thin-film resistivity was reduced from 1.43 x 10(1) to 1.78 x 10(-2) omega cm, which is by 98.7%. This post-treatment process improved the properties of ZnO thin films, which facilitated the application of ZnO films.

Automated summary

A simple and effective method was developed to improve the properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. The addition of nitrogen (N) and the reduction of oxygen vacancy defects were confirmed after the ammonia water vapor treatment. The treatment resulted in a more uniform distribution of grains in the samples, with a slight increase in particle size. The light transmittance increased and the thin-film resistivity decreased significantly, making the ZnO films more suitable for various applications.