Investigation of the transformation of the surface architecture of zinc oxide powders synthesized by grinding during etching with argon ions

Igor A. Pronin; Aleksey S. Komolov; Alexander S. Lenshin; Nadezhda D. Yakushova; Andrey A. Karmanov

doi:10.17308/kcmf.2025.27/12804

Authors

Igor A. Pronin Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3037-3601 (unauthenticated)
Aleksey S. Komolov Saint Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2942-9823 (unauthenticated)
Alexander S. Lenshin Voronezh State University, 1 Universitetskaya pl., Voronezh 394018, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1939-253X (unauthenticated)
Nadezhda D. Yakushova Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0358-7818 (unauthenticated)
Andrey A. Karmanov Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8318-8149 (unauthenticated)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2025.27/12804

Keywords:

Zinc oxide, Etching, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Surface

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the work is to study by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy the transformation of the surface architecture of zinc oxide powders, previously obtained by mechanical milling, during their etching with argon ions.

Experimental: The etching was carried out in two steps of 30 s duration each at a current of 1 μA. It was found that on the surface of initial powders 45 % of zinc is a part of the crystal lattice of ZnO, and the remaining 55 % exist in the form of hydroxide.

Conclusions: The first etching step reduced the fraction of hydroxyl groups on the surface to 1 per 5 zinc cations in the ZnO lattice, and further etching showed the impossibility of deeper purification of the sample from OH-groups. In contrast, the carbon atoms almost completely left the powder surface after the end of the second etching step

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Author Biographies

Igor A. Pronin, Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Tech.), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Nano- and Microelectronics, Penza
State University (Penza, Russian Federation)
Aleksey S. Komolov, Saint Petersburg State University, 7-9 Universitetskaya Embankment, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Phys.–Math.), Professor, Department of Solid State Electronics, Saint Petersburg State
University (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation)
Alexander S. Lenshin, Voronezh State University, 1 Universitetskaya pl., Voronezh 394018, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Phys.–Math.), Senior Researcher, Department of Solid State Physics and
Nanostructures, Voronezh State University (Voronezh, Russian Federation)
Nadezhda D. Yakushova, Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Tech.), Associate Professor, Department of Nano- and Microelectronics, Penza
State University (Penza, Russian Federation)
Andrey A. Karmanov, Penza State University, 40 Krasnaya st., Penza 440026, Russian Federation

Cand. Sci. (Phys.–Math.), Associate Professor, Department of Nano- and Microelectronics, Penza
State University (Penza, Russian Federation)

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