Comparative study of the properties of ZnO thin films deposited on poly propylene carbonate (PPC) and glass substrates

In this study, we report a comparative study of the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the deposited ZnO thin films on Poly Propylene Carbonate (PPC) and glass substrates by direct current (DC) sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of the films on PPC and glass substrates show mainly the ZnO (002) diffraction peaks at 2θ = 34.1 and 34.3^o with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.31 and 0.34^o, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that both ZnO thin films have smooth surface. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show two peaks, the first intense peak was found in the UV region. The second weak peak was observed in the visible region. The transmission and absorption spectra of the ZnO thin films deposited on both substrates showed that the films have good transmission in the visible region and a good absorption in the UV region. The optical energy gap (E _g) values of the deposited ZnO thin films on PPC plastic and glass substrates were derived from absorption measurements and it found to be 3.38 and 3.40 eV, respectively.