Synthesis and Characterization of Physical Properties of MgO Thin Films by Various Concentrations

In this work, magnesium oxide was elaborated on a glass substrate at 450°C by a pneumatic spray technique. The structural, optical, and electrical properties were studied at different MgO concentrations (.05, .10, .15, and .2 mol L−1). Poly-crystalline MgO films with a cubic structure with a strong (002) preferred orientation were observed at all sprayed films, with a maximum crystallite size of 21.4 nm attained by the sprayed film at .2 mol L−1. Good transmission was found in the deposited MgO thin films with lowest molarity. The transmission of MgO thin films decreases rapidly as the wavelength increases in the range of 300–400 nm and then increases slowly at higher wavelengths. The bandgap of MgO thin films decreases as the molarity increases, and the band gap values range between 4.8 and 4.3 eV. The Urbach energy values range between 375 and 519 meV. The electrical resistance of our films is on the order of 2 × 107Ω. The prepared MgO thin films were suitable for electronic packaging; they are capable to provide very stable and high secondary electron emission combined with low bandgap energy and low electrical resistance.