Ca doped ZnO thin films by sol-gel dip coating method

Abstract

Utilization of Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have great potential for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, and ease of synthesis by diverse methods. In this study, undoped and Calcium (Ca) doped ZnO thin films were fabricated by sol-gel dip coating method to examine the effects of Ca doping on ZnO thin films. 0.5 M homogeneous solution was prepared via sol-gel method by adding 0%, 1% and 5% Ca (at%). Thin films were deposited on glass substrates by dip coating with a withdrawal speed of 100 mm/min. Thermal characterization of the films was examined by thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). Microstructure characterization and surface morphology of the films were carried out by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Refractive index of thin films was measured with Prism Coupler (Metricon Model 2010/M). The surface porosity of thin films was successfully calculated with image data analysis using Python (version 3.9.1). The results are indicated that the microstructural properties of ZnO thin films were significantly affected by the ratio of Ca doping. It can be concluded that Ca doped films can be strong candidate for biosensing devices. © 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.