Abstract

The variation in the structural, optical, and electrical parameters of ZnO nanocrystal (NC) films co-doped with Ga and In atoms was studied. ZnO films were prepared by spray pyrolysis with In content of 2.0 at.% and Ga content varying from 0.5 at.% to 3.0 at.%. All films were then annealed at 400 °C for 4 h in a nitrogen flow. Non-monotonic variation in surface morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity, and emission of the ZnO:Ga:In NC films versus Ga content was revealed. The films are characterized by a wurtzite crystal structure and high intensity of near-band-edge (NBE) emission in the visible spectral region, attesting to the high crystallinity of the films for the Ga doping content studied. Doping by elements with smaller and larger ionic radii compared with Zn ions makes it possible to vary the residual stresses in the films and shift the start of the self-compensation process towards higher donor concentrations. The latter makes it possible to achieve minimum electrical resistivity of 5.6 × 10−4 Ω cm in the films. Conditions for the growth of high-quality NC films with a wurtzite crystal structure, planar morphology, bright NBE emission, and low electrical resistivity were thus revealed. The reasons for the variation in chemical composition, emission, and structural parameters versus Ga content are analyzed and discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6579-6585
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Electronic Materials
Volume51
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2022

Keywords

  • Ga and In co-doping
  • crystal structure
  • electrical resistivity
  • emission

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