Characterization of nio thin films produced at different substrate temperatures usingultrasonic spray pyrolysis method

In this study, the characterization of NiO thin films produced by the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method at different substrate temperatures was carried out. The ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method is recognized as an effective technique to produce NiO thin films. The objective of the research is to comprehensively analyze the structural, morphological, and electro-optical properties of these films and to determine the effect of substrate temperature on these properties. Within the scope of the study, NiO thin films were produced at substrate temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 400 °C. The Structural, morphological and electro-optical analyzes of the films were carried out with various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopy. Analyzes have shown that increasing the substrate temperature affects the structural properties of NiO thin films. From SEM images, it was determined that the film surfaces were smoother at lower substrate temperatures. Band gap values were determined between 3.50 eV and 3.70 eV. ITO/NiO/P3HT:PCBM/Al organic solar cells were produced using NiO thin films deposited on ITO at different substrate temperatures. The highest power conversion efficiency was obtained as 1.3*10^-3% for NiO films deposited at 250 °C. The open circuit voltage, short circuit current density and fill factor of the campion cell were found to be 0.16 V, 37.46 uA/cm2 and 21.52%, respectively. This research provides valuable information about the properties of NiO thin films produced at different substrate temperatures using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. These findings could be important for the development of NiO thin films for various applications such as sensors, solar cells, and transparent conductive electrodes.