Raman study of oriented ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel method

ZnO films with preferred orientation along the (002) plane were successfully deposited by the sol-gel method using Zn(CH3COO)(2)center dot 2H(2)O as starting material and inorganic precursor. A homogeneous and stable solution was prepared by dissolving the zinc acetate in a solution of ethanol and monoethanolamine. Thin films are obtained by spin-coating on glass substrates. ZnO films were obtained by preheating the spin-coated films at 300 degrees C for 10 min after each coating and postheating upto 550 degrees C for 2 h. The as-deposited films are transformed into mono-oriented ZnO upon thermal treatment. The films consist of spongy particles aggregates with an uniform size and homogenous surface. The films aim to be used in optoelectronic devices. Raman spectroscopy from ZnO films and deposit solutions has been investigated. New Raman results of the deposit solution suggest that Zn-O bond forms first in solution and that these entities play the role of germs initiating the crystallization mechanisms during films annealing. Raman spectra of the annealed films show the presence of a compressive stress within the film structure. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.