2023 Departmental Poster Competition

The nanorods of ZnO have gained much importance regarding their potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Particularly, thin films and bulk ZnO depict prominent absorption of light, especially in ultra violet range. For the devices, working in visible and IR range, for instance photovoltaic cells and optoelectronic sensors, there is always a need for improving the absorption profile from UV to higher wavelength region. The process of chemical bath deposition has been used for the synthesis of undoped and Fe doped ZnO nanorods. Thin films were produced by doping iron in ZnO in range of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12%. Pre-cleaned glass substrates (1× 0.5 inch) were used for the deposition of the nanorods. Precursors used in this study were zinc nitrate hexahydrate, hexamethyl tetra amine (HMTA) and iron nitrate nonahydrate. X-ray diffraction technique was used for measuring the structural parameters of the nanorods. XRD confirmed the incorporation of iron ions in place of zinc ions in the hexagonal wurtzite lattice of ZnO. SEM was used for studying the microstructure and morphology of the nanorods. SEM analysis revealed uniformly distributed hexagonal nanorods. The diameter of nanorods increased gradually by enhancing the doping concentration of Fe.  Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy was used for studying the optical properties of the sample. Absorption spectra pointed out a gradual decrease in the bandgap of the sample by incorporation of iron in ZnO. Photoluminescence spectra pointed out that highest emission peaks were observed for high doping of Fe in the ZnO nanorods. Such material with better optical characteristics would be fruitful for application in optoelectronic devices like bio sensors, piezoelectric generators etc.