Optical properties of Ag/ZnO nanocomposite coatings

In this work, ZnO nanostructures were fabricated on Ag-coated substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Ag was incorporated into ZnO nanostructures during the growth by using a composite, or mosaic, target. The effect was studied of Ag doping on the morphology, structure, composition, and photoluminescence of the ZnO nanostructures. It was found that the increase of the dopant concentration leads to a deterioration of the crystalline structure, as well as to a change of the sample morphology. It was also found that the manner of incorporating Ag into the ZnO matrix affects the photoluminescent performance of the nanocomposite coatings.