X-ray diffraction studies of ZnO:Cu thin films prepared using sol-gel method

Abstract ZnO:Cu thin films were deposited on corning glass substrate using sol gel method with different concentration of Cu (0, 1, 3, and 5%) has been done. The effect of the different Cu concentration on the structural properties of these films was studied in detail. Based on the XRD result, the ZnO thin films undoped and doped Cu are polycrystalline with hexagonal wurtzite structure and has preferred orientation is c-axis. All peaks of ZnO thin films undoped and doped Cu shows that reflection peaks associated with (100),(002) and (110) planes. The film quality was improved with the increasing of the Cu concentration. The value of the lattice constant a and c was found to be increased with increases of the Cu concentration. Changes in the lattice constant affect the bond length of ZnO (L) and the volume of one hexagonal system unit (V). The lattice parameter also affects to the crystallite size. The crystallite size was increased with Increasing of the Cu concentration and the lattice parameter. Furthermore, the strain value of the film decreases with increases of the Cu concentration. Lattice strain that has decreased is due to the cavity around of the formed film. Cavities between atoms also affect the density of the dislocation. The larger cavity between atoms on the films that makes the dislocation density becomes smaller.