Influence of Time Variation on UV-Sensitive Optical Properties in ZnO/CuO Blend Films

Abstract

Recent research focuses on nanomaterials due to their possible applications spanning different fields like optoelectronics, catalysis, and sensing. Of the nanomaterials, metal oxide nanomaterials have proven to be a good substitute for semiconducting materials in optoelectronic applications, given their multiple characteristics. A study of the blend of ZnO/CuO thin films will be beneficial to investigate the optimization of the optical characteristics. Hence, this article examines the influence of time on the optical characteristics of ZnO/CuO blend films. With a chemical bath deposition technique, thin films of ZnO/CuO blend were deposited onto a transparent substrate placed in an aqueous solution comprising 10ml of ZnO and CuO, along with 1ml of Triethanolamine. The films were grown at a constant temperature of 90º for different durations: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, and 75 minutes. Optical properties of the films were studied using UV-visible spectroscopy for all the deposited ZnO/CuO films within the wavelength range from 200 – 1000nm. The findings revealed that the films deposited at 45 minutes and 60 minutes exhibited high absorbance, whereas those deposited at 30 minutes and 75 minutes displayed low absorbance. Moreover, the study identified various optical bandgaps of the material, noting that the film deposited at 45 minutes demonstrated the bulk bandgap of ZnO/CuO.