CHARACTERIZATION OF TRANSPARENT ZINC-OXIDE FILMS PREPARED BY ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTION

Transparent zinc oxide (ZnO) films have been grown by galvanostatic ca thodic deposition onto conductive glasses from a simple aqueous zinc n itrate electrolyte maintained at 335 K. The as-deposited ZnO films wer e characterized with Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscop y, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical transmissi on and absorption studies, and measurement of sheet resistivity as a f unction of cathodic current density. The ZnO films pre pared had a wur tzite structure and exhibited an optical bandgap energy of 3.3 eV whic h is characteristic of ZnO. At a low cathodic current density of 0.05 mA cm(-2), ZnO films with excellent electrical characteristics have be en obtained. A 2 mu m thick ZnO film with an optical transmittance of 72% was deposited by electrolysis for approximately 20 min at a cathod ic current density of 10 mA cm(-2).