On February 26, 2025, Dr. Ivna Kavre Piltaver from the Faculty of Physics and the Centre for Micro- and Nanosciences and Technologies, University of Rijeka, delivered a seminar entitled "Atomic Layer Deposition of Semiconductor Thin Films for Photocatalytic Application" at the Institute of Physics Belgrade, in the "Zvonko Marić" lecture hall.
Dr. Kavre Piltaver introduced advanced methods of atomic layer deposition (ALD) for semiconductor thin films, discussing their promising applications in photocatalysis and environmental technologies. The seminar encouraged active discussion and valuable exchange of expertise among attendees.
This event reflects the Center for Solid State Physics and New Materials' ongoing efforts to strengthen regional scientific cooperation, promote knowledge sharing, and advance collaborative research initiatives within the HIP-2D-QM project.
We sincerely thank Dr. Kavre Piltaver and all participants for their engaging contributions!
Abstract:
Water pollution caused by industrial development and the release of organic pollutants presents a significant environmental challenge. As a result, wastewater recycling has become a global priority, demanding innovative solutions. One promising approach to address this issue is the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, which utilizes light energy and semiconductor materials to break down organic contaminants into harmless by-products such as carbon dioxide and water. Recent research has concentrated on the development of efficient photocatalysts capable of performing this degradation process effectively. During the seminar, the instruments available at the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Physics, and the Centre for Micro- and Nanosciences and Technologies will be presented, along with the recently published research results, where the photocatalytic activity of copper-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films, synthesized using the atomic layer deposition method, was studied. Analysis using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction reveals a polycrystalline structure, with a decrease in crystallinity as the Cu content increases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of copper in the Cu+ oxidation state for samples with a Cu content lower than 1 at. %, suggesting that copper ions occupy substitutional CuZn acceptor sites in ZnO, which results in p-type conductivity. Additionally, the Cu-doped ZnO films exhibit enhanced optical absorption in the visible region, as demonstrated by UV-Vis measurements. The reduced electron-hole recombination rate, due to significantly lower intrinsic free charge carrier concentrations in the doped samples, coupled with increased light absorption in the visible region, leads to a substantial improvement in photocatalytic efficiency under simulated sunlight irradiation.
