Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Structural and Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Film Annealed with Novel Annealing Method

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on silicon substrates by a sol-gel spin-coating method. The films were annealed using a novel annealing method named thermal dissipation annealing (TDA) method, at temperatures varying from 400 degrees C to 600 degrees C. It was found that annealing ZnO films using the TDA method forms nanosheet structures at the surface of the films. The formation of nanosheets could be attributed to a particle migration mechanism based on a temperature gradient, which was heavily influenced by the annealing temperature. Higher near-band-edge (NBE) emission intensities were observed for the TDA-annealed ZnO films compared to the as-grown film. The emission intensity was found to be dependent on the annealing temperature. Enhanced photoresponse properties were exhibited by the ZnO films annealed using the TDA method, suggesting that the TDA method can be used to improve the performance of ZnO films in applications such as ultraviolet photodetection.

Automated summary

Zinc oxide thin films were annealed using a thermal dissipation annealing (TDA) method, resulting in the formation of nanosheet structures and enhanced near-band-edge emission intensities, showcasing improved photoresponse properties.