This study synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) films on glass substrates using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal technique with pre-coating via a seed layer. The influence of microwave irradiation at 30, 60, 90, and 120 s on the ocular and corporal characteristics associated with ZnO films was analyzed. The films were grown and annealed at temperatures of \(100^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) and \(300^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) , respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination revealed that the produced specimens (labeled S1, S2, S3, and S4) were polycrystalline with a hexagonal (Wurtzite) structure, predominantly oriented in the (002) direction. The average crystallite size was largest for sample S2, which received 60 s of irradiation, measuring 58 nanometres. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) discovered that zinc oxide films had wall-shaped nanostructures for samples S1 and S2, while S3 and S4 displayed rod-shaped nanostructures. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the precise elemental composition of the membranes. Optical properties analysis focused on the spectral absorbance and transmittance of the ZnO films. The highest transmittance, 85%, was observed in sample S2 with 60 s of irradiation. The absorbance wavelength range was set between 350 and 650 nm, while the transmittance ranged from 350 to 900 nm, suitable for solar cell and sensor applications. A decrease in energy gap values, from 3.225 to 3.10 eV, was noted as microwave irradiation time increased.
