Proceedings of International Conference on Applied Innovation in IT  ·  2026/06/12  ·  Vol. 14  ·  Issue 4  ·  pp. 583–591
Comparative Analysis of Physical and Gas-Sensing Properties of Cobalt-Doped Zirconium Dioxide Thin Films
Hanaa Kadem Essa, Rushdi Ibrahim Jasim, Wafaa Hameed Abbas, Muhaned Zaidi, Saja Faez Hassan and Reem Sami Ali
Cobalt-doped zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂:Co) nanostructured thin films were successfully deposited on glass substrates using the chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) technique. X-ray diffraction revealed a polycrystalline orthorhombic structure with a predominant (111) orientation. Cobalt incorporation initially enhanced crystallinity at 1% doping, as evidenced by increased peak intensity and grain growth from 11.82 nm to 19.04 nm. However, further doping to 3% Co induced lattice disorder, slightly reducing crystalline quality. Atomic force microscopy demonstrated that Co doping significantly refined the surface morphology, reducing both the average particle size (from 68.57 nm to 36.04 nm) and surface roughness, indicating the formation of smoother, more compact films. Optical transmittance measurements showed high transparency (92.4-96.5%) in the visible region, which decreased with increasing Co content. The optical band gap narrowed systematically from 5.25 eV to 5.15 eV with Co doping, ascribed to the existence of defect states and impurity levels within the ZrO₂ band structure. Gas-sensing tests at 225 ppm NO₂ and 125 °C revealed that Co doping substantially enhanced the sensor response, with the 3% Co-doped film exhibiting the greatest resistance modulation. However, sensitivity calculations demonstrated a decrease in sensor response with increasing Co concentration.
ZrO₂:Co Thin Films CSP XRD AFM Optical Properties Gas Sensing
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