Graphite/SiC (GSC) thin films were synthesized on silicon substrates via a spray method, depositing a Si-graphite solution on preheated silicon samples at 350 °C, followed by annealing at 800 °C for 4 h. A systematic approach was employed to ensure the effective incorporation of graphite into the SiC material during solution preparation. Various analytical techniques, including XPS, UPS, Reflection Energy Electron Loss Spectroscopy (REELS), PL, AFM, and Hall effect measurements, were employed for comparative analysis of the chemical composition, morphological, electrical, and optoelectronic properties of as-deposited and annealed GSC films. XPS analysis revealed the presence of Si—C and graphitic bonds in the as-deposited GSC, with a significant compositional shift to oxygen-rich graphite oxide/oxycarbides after annealing. REELS demonstrated increased bandgap and bulk plasmon energy due to surface oxidation, while UPS highlighted a high electronic density in the as-deposited film, diminishing after annealing. AFM revealed a tendency of as-deposited GSC grains to form smaller, sharper structures after annealing, resulting in smoother and more homogeneous surface morphology. Phase AFM confirmed graphite incorporation at grain boundaries and within the bulk, forming a composite structure. PL spectra of the as-deposited film exhibited a broad visible emission with distinct sub-peaks linked to SiC bandgap transitions and carbon-rich defects. Chromaticity diagrams indicated suitability for white LED applications. Hall effect measurements showed excellent electrical properties of the as-deposited GSC film, with high carrier density and mobility, which reduced significantly after annealing, transitioning the material to a more insulating state. These findings collectively provide a comprehensive understanding of GSC thin films’ properties and their potential applications.

Undoped ZnO thin films have been prepared on glass substrates at different substrate temperatures by spray pyrolysis method. The effect of temperature on the structural, morphological and optical properties of n-type ZnO films was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the ZnO thin films were polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements showed that the surface morphology of the films changed with temperature. The studies demonstrated that the ZnO film had a transmission of about 85 % and energy gap of 3.28 eV at 450 °C. The RBS measurements revealed that ZnO layers with a thickness up to 200 nm had a good stoichiometry.

In this work, we have prepared the undoped and Al-doped ZnO thin films by a homemade spray pyrolysis method at 450°C onto glass substrates. The X-ray diffraction patterns of undoped ZnO and aluminized zinc-oxide (AZO) thin films exhibit hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with high crystalline quality, the crystallite size is nanometric. The morphology of the undoped and Al-doped ZnO thin films also indicate that all samples have a nanoscale grain size around 50 nm, and the microstructure of ZnO films is highly influenced by the aluminum doping. The two films are characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry showing that the films have a whole optical transmission above 85% in the visible range. The composition of our films is obtained by energy dispersive spectrum, confirmed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and by Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry (RBS) techniques.

Journal of Nano- and Electronic Physics. Scientific journal. ISSN: 2077-6772. Journal abbreviation: J. Nano- Electron. Phys. No page charges. All articles are freely available on-line. Issued 4 times per year. Publisher: Sumy State University. (Sumy, Ukraine)

Journal of Nano- and Electronic Physics. Scientific journal. ISSN: 2077-6772. Journal abbreviation: J. Nano- Electron. Phys. No page charges. All articles are freely available on-line. Issued 4 times per year. Publisher: Sumy State University. (Sumy, Ukraine)