Microstructure and Optical Properties of Yttrium-doped Zinc Oxide (YZO) Nanobolts Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method

In this work, yttrium-doped zinc oxide (YZO) nanopowder was synthesized via hydrothermal precipitation-method. The microstructure and optical properties of yttrium-doped zinc oxide nanopowder were characterized, which confirmed the well-crystalline wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The yttrium-doped zinc oxide nanopowder grains formed the nanobolts of similar to 400 nm in length and similar to 900 nm in width. High resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) of the nanobolts revealed uniform lattice fringes and no visible faults and/or distortions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the presence of yttrium in the zinc oxide lattice, proving the contribution of yttrium on the microstructural and optical properties of the material. A strong ultra violet (UV) emission peak of the YZO exhibited a red shift compared to pure zinc oxide, which was ascribed to the defects and the formation of a shallow energy level caused by the incorporation of yttrium. Copyright (C) 2015, The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology. Published by Elsevier Limited. All rights reserved.