A novel way of modifying nano grain size by solution concentration in the growth of ZnAl2O4 thin films

A novel route to the growth of thin films of ZnAl2O4 in nano-scale order was developed and nano-thin films of ZnAl2O4 are grown. The variation of grain size with solution concentration is reported. The thin film was deposited by modified liquid-phase deposition (LPD) technique using a novel acid based chemical reaction for the first time to ternary system. This modified LPD is based on a novel reaction that favours the formation of nanostructures during the treatment of a precursor (here ZnO) and a metal foil (Al) in diluted HF acid. The acid serves both as a solvent and catalyst. Usually, in wet process synthesis of binary systems, the metal foil will act as F− ion scavenger. In this method, formation of a ternary compound as well as growth of thin film nanostructures of that compound was achieved by the same chemical reaction at room temperature. The role of acid concentration in the nanostructure formation is discussed. The relationship between HF concentration and grain size were also graphically enumerated. Structural, compositional and surface morphological properties of thin films were studied using Philips, Xpert-MPD: X-ray diffractometer and Philips, ESEM-TMP + EDAX, Nanoscope-III: AFM. The technique is a novel, simple and low cost route for the growth of nano-thin films of ternary oxide material.