Abstract

In this chapter, we present large-area graphene oxide (GO) thin films as a potential transparent electrode fabricated by using a simple route. GO thin films were prepared by the solution-casting method onto glass substrates, and were rendered conductive either with hydrazine treatment or annealing. Annealed films treated without hydrazine revealed superiority over the others. Surface morphology of these films showed a uniform film texture as seen by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, which is wrinkle-free with roughness as low as ~1.4 nm. Desired optical and electrical properties were achieved by thermal reduction at a temperature as low as 170°C without any reagent, which is an important factor in practical application fields. Microstructural perfection is quite evident from the abrupt descent around a specific energy of photons in the transmittance spectrum. In particular, we have demonstrated that device-quality GO thin films can be obtained via a low-cost scalable technique in comparison with other previous works. The nature and extent of the band gap of GO are analyzed. The Urbach energy and different electrical parameters are addressed. The findings with skills to develop such good-quality GO thin films are very significant in view of an optimized use of these films in electrical and photoelectric applications.