Optical Properties of ZnO Thin Film: A Simulation Study for Optoelectronic Applications

Authors Mohd Rafi Lone1, Kundan Kumar2, Joginder Singh3, Kuldeep Kumar4, R.A. Zargar5
Affiliations

1Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India

2Department of Physics, Ranchi University, Ranchi 834008, India

3Department of Physics, Govt. Degree College, Nowshera, Rajouri 185151, India

4Department of Physics, Govt. Degree College, Akhnoor 181201, India

5Department of Physics, BGSB University, Rajouri 185234, India

Е-mail rayeesphy12@gmail.com
Issue Volume 13, Year 2021, Number 6
Dates Received 27 August 2021; revised manuscript received 04 December 2021; published online 20 December 2021
Citation Mohd Rafi Lone, Kundan Kumar, Joginder Singh, et al., J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 13 No 6, 06014 (2021)
DOI https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.13(6).06014
PACS Number(s) 61.72.Uj, 78.30.FS, 78.55.Et
Keywords Optoelectronics (2) , Sellmeier model, Thin film (101) , ZnO (88) , MATLAB simulation.
Annotation

Spectroscopic ellipsometry is widely used to find the optical properties of thin film coatings with optically smooth surfaces. Theoretical modeling is developed within the Sellmeier model theory in order to analyze, understand and predict the optical behavior of a ZnO thin film. ZnO is a well-known semiconductor with possible applications in optoelectronics such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, etc. This paper presents an analysis of the optical properties of ZnO thin films obtained by the Sellmeier method using transmission spectra. For this, the computer language MATLAB was employed to generate the transmission data, and the film was observed to exhibit 96 % transmittance in the 500-1000 nm range, superior for the solar spectrum. These transmission data were used to calculate various optical parameters such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, and optical band gap, which were calculated using different formulas with respect to wavelength in the UV-visible region. It is found that the direct band gap transition is 3.23 eV, while the refractive index and extinction coefficient show variation up to 400 nm. This sort of research work will help us find the best thin film coating technology for designing optoelectronic devices. Simulation and comparison of the optical properties help to optimize the best material/property ratio for promising devices. The present investigation can provide an environment friendly and low-cost tool for optoelectronic and solar cell devices.

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