One-Step Synthesis of Fe-Doped ZnO Thin Films by a Convenient Electrochemical Technique at Room Temperature

This paper reports on the synthesis and characterization of Fe-doped ZnO thin films deposited onto gold coated glass substrates, using electrochemical deposition (ECD) technique at room temperature and different concentrations of Fe. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and optical transmission measurements were used to characterize the films. The effect of iron doping on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the films was studied. The XRD spectra of the Fe-ZnO films indicate the polycrystalline nature having hexagonal crystal structure. From the XRD pattern, it is observed that peak positions shift toward lower angles with Fe doping. The change in the peak positions with increase in Fe content clearly indicates that Fe ions replace Zn ions in the ZnO films. The SEM images showed different surface morphologies of the grown structures on the gold layer according to the doping concentration. The shape and dimensions of the structures depend on the doping level. The PL spectra illustrate that there is an obvious red-shift for the emission centre from ultraviolet to blue region. The intensities of emissions from defects increase with the increase of Fe doping. The growth and doping mechanism was also briefly discussed.