Temperature-Driven Structural and Morphological Evolution of Zinc Oxide Nano-Coalesced Microstructures and Its Defect-Related Photoluminescence Properties
Karkeng Lim,
Muhammad Azmi Abdul Hamid,
Roslinda Shamsudin,
N.H. Al-Hardan,
Ishak Mansor,
Weesiong Chiu
Affiliations
Karkeng Lim
Materials Science Program, School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan 43600, Malaysia
Muhammad Azmi Abdul Hamid
Materials Science Program, School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan 43600, Malaysia
Roslinda Shamsudin
Materials Science Program, School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan 43600, Malaysia
N.H. Al-Hardan
Materials Science Program, School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan 43600, Malaysia
Ishak Mansor
Technical Support Division, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Kajang 43000, Malaysia
Weesiong Chiu
Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
In this paper, we address the synthesis of nano-coalesced microstructured zinc oxide thin films via a simple thermal evaporation process. The role of synthesis temperature on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared zinc oxide samples was deeply investigated. The obtained photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy outcomes will be used to discuss the surface structure defects of the prepared samples. The results indicated that the prepared samples are polycrystalline in nature, and the sample prepared at 700 °C revealed a tremendously c-axis oriented zinc oxide. The temperature-driven morphological evolution of the zinc oxide nano-coalesced microstructures was perceived, resulting in transformation of quasi-mountain chain-like to pyramidal textured zinc oxide with increasing the synthesis temperature. The results also impart that the sample prepared at 500 °C shows a higher percentage of the zinc interstitial and oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the intensity of the photoluminescence emission in the ultraviolet region was enhanced as the heating temperature increased from 500 °C to 700 °C. Lastly, the growth mechanism of the zinc oxide nano-coalesced microstructures is discussed according to the reaction conditions.