Tuning the Porosity of Inkjet-Printed ZnO Thin Films

Inkjet printing is an easy, versatile way to fabricate ZnO thin films. While previous approaches have used dispersions of ZnO nanoparticles for inks, this project used a solution of zinc acetate instead. Acetate based inks have been shown to be both more stable and more effective at making uniform films than nanoparticle dispersions. These films are also uniquely porous, exhibiting both a microporous and a nanoporous structure. This study examines the extent to which the porosity of these films can be tuned based on annealing temperature and ink concentration. X-ray reflection is also examined as a potential tool to measure the porosity of these films.