Synthesis and Enhanced Optical Characterization of Zirconium-Doped NiO Thin Films

This study explores the formation and examination of Zr-doped NiO thin films (ZNO). The NiO powders mixed with Zr were made using the chemical precipitation method, and then these powders were shaped into thin films using a technique called the doctor blade method. We used several methods to characterize the materials, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and ultraviolet spectroscopy. The XRD analysis showed that the films were pure, only displaying the expected peaks for NiO in its common crystal form and no signs of contamination. The AFM results indicated that the surface of these films was quite rough. Moreover, the optical studies revealed that adding Zr improved how NiO interacts with light at longer wavelengths, and these Zr-doped films had a lower energy gap (2.88 eV) than usual, which could be beneficial for certain applications.