Influence of annealing temperature on the properties of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles prepared through chemical precipitation method for p-n junction diode application

Molybdenum Oxide (MoO3) nanoparticles were synthesized through chemical precipitation method. The synthesized samples were subjected to different annealing temperature varying from 400 to 600 degrees C. The properties of the prepared samples were done with different techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis (DRS), SEM, EDS and electrical study. XRD pattern based on JCPDS card Nos. 05-0508 and 21-0569 show orthorhombic structure for annealed samples and hexagonal structure of as-prepared sample. The presence of Mo and O functional groups is identified in the prepared samples through FT-IR analysis. The UV-vis results show maximum absorption in the UV region irrespective of the samples. SEM images reveal the conversion of hexagonal shape short rods into long rods due to the influence of annealing temperature. The EDS analysis confirms the presence of Mo and O elements in the prepared samples. Electrical studies elucidate the ohmic behavior of the prepared samples which in turn confirms the semiconducting nature of MoO3 nanoparticles. Based on diode characterization, 400 degrees C annealed sample has good rectifying behavior and it can be used to photo-detector applications.