Abstract
Due to their electrical and optical properties, nanosized semiconductors are widely used to make multifunctional nanoscale optoelectronic and electronic devices. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a native n-type semiconductor with a broad band gap (3.37 eV) and high exciton binding energy (60 meV) at room temperature. ZnO is used in ultraviolet (UV) light emitters, piezoelectric devices, chemical and gas sensors, transistors, solar cells, catalysts, and spintronics due to this. In the present study, ZnO nanoplates were prepared by hydrothermal method at different hydrothermal temperatures that are 140, 160, 180, 210 and 230°C. Synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy. X-ray analysis shows that ZnO nanoplates crystallize in a hexagonal structure and good crystallinity. In FESEM study, it was observed that all structures are in the form of nanoplates. Optical measurements show that the band gap energies of the nanoplate are decreased with increasing the hydrothermal temperatures