SEM and XRD Characterization of ZnO Nanostructured Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method with Various Annealing Temperatures.

ZnO thin films were fabricated by the sol-gel method using Zn(CH3COO)2.2H2O (zinc acetate) as starting material. A homogenous and stable solution was prepared by dissolving the zinc acetate in a solution of ethanol and ethanolamine. Deposition of ZnO solution on Si substrate was performed by spin-coating technique and annealed at various temperatures from 200° C to 600° C. The surface morphologies and structural properties of the obtained product were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM analysis showed that the surface boundaries of ZnO thin films were decreased with the increasing of annealing temperature. X-ray analysis showed that the crystallinity of ZnO thin films increased with increasing annealing temperature. The effect of annealing temperature of ZnO thin films was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]