Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Photocatalytic Activity Of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Prepared By Dc Sputter Deposition And Thermal Oxidation, Robert Louder

Honors Theses

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor with a broad range of applications, such as photocatalysis. The photocatalytic properties of ZnO result from the highly oxidizing holes and reducing electrons that are induced on the ZnO surface by ultraviolet (UV) light. The efficiency of electron-hole pair formation is therefore critical for photocatalysis, and thus the optical quality of the films in the UV region is of critical importance. ZnO thin films have been fabricated using DC sputter deposition of Zn-metal films followed by thermal oxidation at different temperatures (300, 600, and 900°C). Characterization of the optical properties of the resulting …