ZnO seed layers prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering to be applied as electrodeposition substrates

ZnO seed layers have been prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering on glass/SnO2:F substrates at room temperature. The influence of the deposition time and sputtering power on the electrochemical behavior, structural, morphological and optical properties of the coatings were systematically investigated using different techniques. The characterization of the sampleswasmade after thermal treatment at 300°C for 3 h. The seed layers are transparent, composed by textured ZnO with different grain sizes ranging from 30 to 90 nm which makes them promising to be applied as electrodeposition substrates. The obtained results demonstrate that their (photo)electrochemical properties, fundamental for the next deposition step, are strongly related to the sputtering conditions used. The results reveal that the largest photocurrent as well as the enhanced electrical conductivity was obtained for the films prepared at lowest sputtering power, 120W. While, the seed layer prepared at 300Wshows the lowest charge carrier density and high resistance to the photodissolution process.