PALLADIUM DOPED ZNO THIN FILMS PREPARED BY SILAR AND THEIR STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Pd-doped ZnO (Pd : ZnO) thin films prepared from sodium zincate bath. SILAR technique used for preparation of the films. X-ray diffraction reveals the polycrystalline nature of the films.  X-ray line broadening analysis gives the particle size of the films. It shows decreasing trend with increasing palladium impurification. The  particle size for pure ZnO is 43.8 nm and  31·9 nm for 20% Pd:ZnO. Strain broadening was neglectedin the evaluation process. By  palladium doping the preferred c-axis orientation is lost and degree of polycrystallinity of the films  increases. The  bandgap of the films increases with  Pd dopant. The fundamental absorption edge is 3·34 eV for pure ZnO and  3·79 eV for 20% Pd:ZnO.