Search

Nanorods of aluminum doped zinc oxide films (AZO) were grown on borosilicate glass substrates using an rf-sputtering technique combining simultaneously substrate twisting motion frequency with sustained rotation. Twist-motion frequency of 0.35, 0.5, and, 0.75 Hz between 40° to -40° taking the horizontal plane as reference was adjusted. Effects of this twist-motion frequency as a function of the sustained azimuth rotation of the substrate at 15, 30, and 45 rpm were observed. The morphological, optical, and structural properties were compared between films. Well defined vertical nanorods shapes were observed. The thickness of the films is affected by both twist motion and rotation speed, and the average optical transmittance was greater than 80 % which shows that all samples have high transparencies in the visible range. The combination of these growth parameters of twist and rotation of the substrate allowed us to obtain refractive index values between 1.77 and 2.11 at a wavelength of 700 nm and an energy bandgap in the range of 3.47 and 3.63 eV. The crystallite size of the nanorods obtained was between 29 and 40 nm and the films showed a preferential orientation normal at the surface film to direction of the c-crystallographic plane (002). We report compressive stress in our samples.