"

Cookies ussage consent

Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our site without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.

I agree, do not show this message again.

Structural and optical study of nickel doped ZnO nanoparticles and thin films for dye sensitized solar cell applications

S. THAKUR1, J. KUMAR1,* , J. SHARMA1, N. SHARMA1, P. KUMAR2

Affiliation

  1. Department of Physics, Arni University, Kangra (Himachal Pradesh)
  2. Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, DAVIET, Jalandhar (Punjab)

Abstract

Nanocrystals and thin films of pure and Ni doped Zinc Oxide nanoparticles have been prepared by solution route spincoating process. Crystalline phases, morphology and optical absorption of Ni doped ZnO nanoparticles/Thin films were studied by X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy and UV visible spectrophotometer. X ray studied revealed that Ni doped ZnO crystallised in Hexagonal wurtzite structure. The size strain plot (SSP) method was used to study the individual contributions of crystallite size and lattice strain on the peak broadening of Ni doped ZnO nanoparticles. Physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density values were calculated more precisely for all reflections corresponding to the wurtzite hexagonal ZnO phase in the range of 20-600 (2 values) by using the SSP method. The optical gap was found to increase from 3.47 to 3.51 eV with the increase in Ni doping. The obtained AFM characteristics are in accordance to the results got by means of measurements of X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy..

Keywords

A1. Ni-doping, A1. Optical band-gap, A3. Sol–gel method, B1. ZnO thin films.

Submitted at: Jan. 21, 2013
Accepted at: Sept. 18, 2013

Citation

S. THAKUR, J. KUMAR, J. SHARMA, N. SHARMA, P. KUMAR, Structural and optical study of nickel doped ZnO nanoparticles and thin films for dye sensitized solar cell applications, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 15, Iss. 9-10, pp. 989-994 (2013)