Production of doped ZnO thin films using thermionic vacuum arc method

In this research, a significant semiconductor compound, ZnO doped with three different Ag, Cu and Co elements and different physical properties were investigated. All thin films were produced utilized plasma assisted Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) technique. The physical properties of the produced doped ZnO thin films were evaluated in terms of X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Ultra violet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer and photoluminescence (PL), respectively. On both substrates, according to the micro-structural measurement, the films structure was found to be hexagonal. The average particle size values of Ag, Cu and Co-doped films produced on glass and Si substrates were obtained as 35,65, 30,53 and 78,37, 30,22 and 78,37, 38,09 nm, respectively. These values proved that the films were nano-sized. For all doped films, the largest grains were found on a glass substrate. Regarding to the surface results, the homogeneous, crack-free and void-free growth on the surfaces of the films was obviously seen. The roughness values obtained from AFM measurement were 34, 13 and 9,35, 10,62 and 18,3, 9,95 nm for Ag, Cu and Co-doped films coated on glass and Si substrates. The increase in the roughness values of the films was fully supported by the calculated mean particle size values as well. Based on the optical properties, the transmittance values of Ag, Cu and Co-doped films (in 330-1100 nm range) were recorded as 11,85, 21,78 and 70,85% on the glass substrate. The average refractive indices of Ag, Cu and Co-doped films prepared on glass and Si substrates were 2,013, 2,058 and 1,630, 1,820 and 1,669, 2,000, respectively. The thickness values obtained by Filmetrics measurement for Ag, Cu and Co-doped ZnO thin films were 73, 75 and 84, 80 and 88, 90 nm on glass and Si substrates, respectively. It was concluded that the TVA technique used in this study was especially suitable and successful for producing nano-sized doped thin films.