Structural and spectral properties of ZnO nanorods by wet chemical method for hybrid solar cells applications

Abstract The synthesis of ZnO nanorods on transparent conducting oxides, Al doped ZnO seed layer on glass substrate (AZO) and indium tin oxide substrate (ITO) by using zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn (NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT, (CH 2 ) 6 N 4 as raw materials is presented. The ZnO seed layer was fabricated by depositing an Al-doped ZnO thin film on glass substrate by sputtering. The effect of seeding on (AZO) and (ITO) substrate by using the wet chemical route growth of ZnO nanorods was investigated. The synthesized nanostructures of ZnO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicate that all the nanostructures of ZnO are preferentially grown as nanorods along [0002] direction (c-axis) of the hexagonal wurtzite structure and the nanorods which are grown on annealed seeded substrate are well shaped hexagonal faceted unlike those formed on non-seeded substrate. However we have observed that when we were increased the aluminum doping on the seed layer the ZnO growth was as nanoplatelets.