In this module students will learn about the synthesis and characterization of semiconducting films and the basics of their use for solar energy conversion. Students will learn a spray pyrolysis technique to prepare ZnO films and use a UV-Vis spectrophotometer to determine band gap size in order to characterize the films’ optical properties. Students will then design synthetic conditions to prepare ZnO-based solid solutions with varying concentrations of a chosen metal from a provided list of available metal nitrates. Students will conclude the module by determining the maximum amount of their chosen metal that can be incorporated in the ZnO lattice.

1. CASPiE
2. Undergraduate Research