Growth of ZnO nanorods on FTO glass substrate

Abstract A simple and direct method has been developed to grow zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) on a fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass (FTO) substrate. Firstly, spray pyrolysis deposition method is applied followed by dipping the substrate in a solution of ZnO growth reagents. The morphology, structure, and optical properties of the obtained thin film are investigated. The results demonstrate the successful synthesis of the ZnO NRs on FTO substrate. The NRs have a hexagonal rod like structure with diameter and length of 240 nm and 670 nm, respectively. FTO/ZnO NRs exhibited absorption of UV wavelengths and high transmittance in visible light region, with energy bandgap (E g ) of 3.2 eV. The characteristics of the FTO/ZnO NRs film can be explored in photovoltaic applications such as dye-sensitized solar cells.