Abstract
Undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been grown on glass substrates by sol-gel process associated with dip coating. Two different solvents are used such as: 2-methoxyethanol and ethanol. The influence of these solvents on structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films has been investigated. Crystallinity and surface morphology of ZnO films are analyzed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical properties are characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). Humidity sensors have been prepared with deposited ZnO films. Results reveal that ZnO thin film synthesized with 2-methoxyethanol showed a better crystalline quality and ultraviolet emission performance. In addition, a smaller transmittance in visible range and a higher surface roughness are observed. Sensing humidity test exhibits better sensitivity for sensor prepared with film deposited using 2-methoxyethanol as solvent.