Synthesis of Nickel Oxide thin films using Langmuir-Blodgett Technique

Abstract

Nickel oxide is an important material in regard with its applications. Ni_2O_3 form of nickel oxide is not as well studied as the NiO. Ni_2O_3 has important applications as buffer layer for organic photovoltaics and auto emission catalyst. We present here a novel method for the synthesis of transparent hexagonal Ni_2O_3 thin films using LB technique. The synthesis route involves the deposition of 200 layers of dense Nickel Stearate Langmuir layers followed by their decomposition and oxidation via stepped heating protocol.The characterization of the synthesized films shows that the Ni_2O_3 phase is enhanced at higher temperature with denser films and larger grain size. Increased grain size results in increased transmittance properties and reduced dielectric constant. FTIR is used to confirm the complete removal of carbonaceous content, which may lead to defects and decrease the quality of the films.