Orientation enhancement of polycrystalline ZnO thin films through thermal oxidation of electrodeposited zinc metal

The polycrystalline ZnO thin films with (002) orientation enhancement were prepared by annealing of electrodeposited metallic Zn films from the ethylene glycol solution of zinc acetate without using any catalyst and template. The morphologies of the thin films were evolved from the nanoplate to the nanocolumn structures with increasing of annealing temperature from 100 °C to 500 °C. SEM and XRD studies indicated that the ZnO nanocolumns were enhanced in the (002) orientation along their length direction. The UV–vis absorption spectra of the ZnO films obtained by annealing at 300 °C and 500 °C were carried out and their band gaps were 3.18 eV and 3.20 eV, respectively. A possible growth mechanism of the ZnO nanostructures responsible for the morphologies and orientation evolution was discussed.