Electrochemical deposition of ZnO pore-array structures and photoconductivity of ZnO/polymer hybrid films

Abstract ZnO films with hexagonally-packed pores were fabricated by the electrochemical deposition and microsphere lithography method. The morphologies of the hole-blocking layer and the ZnO pore-array depend on the electrochemical deposition parameters. The growth of the pore-arrays structure is dependent on the morphology of the hole-blocking layer. Longer deposition time and higher deposition voltage lead to thicker continuous pore-edges which help to maintain the pore-array structure and increase the ZnO/polymer interface area. The light-trapping effect is proven by the decrease in the transmittance and reflectance spectra of the pore-array structure. The increase in photoconductivity was attributed to the enhanced light trapping and increased interface area.