Photosensivity of heterostructures produced by aerosol deposition of ZnMgO thin films on Si substrates

Abstract

ZnMgO thin films were prepared on Si substrates by aerosol deposition method using zinc acetate and magnesium acetate as precursors. The obtained films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). SEM and EDX analysis showed that the produced thin films are homogeneous from the point of view of morphology and composition. It was found that annealing at 500 oC leads to the production of macroscopically homogeneous wurtzite phase films, while thermal treatment at lower or higher temperatures results either in the formation of ZnO particles embedded into the ZnMgO matrix, or in degradation of the film morphology. The investigation of photosensitivity demonstrated that the heterostructures of ZnMgO thin films deposited on Si substrates are sensitive in a wide spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR) radiation, with a highest sensitivity in the UV region.