Synthesis, Characterization, Defect Chemistry, and FET Properties of Microwave-Derived Nanoscaled Zinc Oxide

The formation of nanoscale zinc oxide particles with an almost-monomodal size distribution synthesized by microwave heating of solutions of mononuclear zinc oximato or zinc acetylacetonato complexes in various alkoxyethanols is investigated. Transparent stable suspensions that contain these particles can be obtained from the zinc oximato precursor. Based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, a core/shell model with a finite surface shell thickness of 1.000 ± 0.025 nm is proposed for the ZnO nanoparticles. Field-effect transistor (FET) devices with these ZnO particles as the active semiconducting layer exhibited a charge carrier mobility of 0.045 cm2/(V s) and Ion/off current ratios of ∼460.000, with a threshold voltage of 8.78 V.