Positron annihilation spectroscopy in doped p-type ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Majumdar, Sayanee; Sanyal, D.

2011-07-01

Positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the vacancy type defect of the Li and N doped ZnO. The mono-vacancies, shallow -vacancies and open volume defects have been found in both the Li and N doped ZnO. The mono-vacancies, shallow-vacancies and open volume defects increase in N-doped ZnO as the size of N is quite high compared to Li. Positron annihilation study showed that the doping above 1-3% Li and 3-4% N in ZnO are not required in order to achieve low resistivity, high hole concentration and good mobility.

Functionalized vertically aligned ZnO nanorods for application in electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor based pH sensors and label-free immuno-sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Narendra; Senapati, Sujata; Kumar, Jitendra; Panda, Siddhartha; Kumar, Satyendra

2016-01-01

Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on a SiO 2 /Si surface by optimization of the temperature and atmosphere for annealing of the seed. The seed layer annealed at 500 °C in vacuum provided well separated and uniform seeds which also provided the best condition to get densely packed, uniformly distributed, and vertically aligned nanorods. These nanorods grown on the substrates were used to fabricate electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) devices for pH sensing. Etching of ZnO at acidic pH prevents the direct use of nanorods for pH sensing. Therefore, the nanorods functionalised with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) were utilized for pH sensing and showed the pH sensitivity of 50.1 mV/pH. APTES is also known to be used as a linker to immobilize biomolecules (such as antibodies). The EIS device with APTES functionalized nanorods was used for the label free detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Finally, voltage shifts of 23 mV and 35 mV were observed with PSA concentrations of 1 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml, respectively. (paper)

Zinc Alloys for the Fabrication of Semiconductor Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Yungryel; Lee, Tae S.

2009-01-01

ZnBeO and ZnCdSeO alloys have been disclosed as materials for the improvement in performance, function, and capability of semiconductor devices. The alloys can be used alone or in combination to form active photonic layers that can emit over a range of wavelength values. Materials with both larger and smaller band gaps would allow for the fabrication of semiconductor heterostructures that have increased function in the ultraviolet (UV) region of the spectrum. ZnO is a wide band-gap material possessing good radiation-resistance properties. It is desirable to modify the energy band gap of ZnO to smaller values than that for ZnO and to larger values than that for ZnO for use in semiconductor devices. A material with band gap energy larger than that of ZnO would allow for the emission at shorter wavelengths for LED (light emitting diode) and LD (laser diode) devices, while a material with band gap energy smaller than that of ZnO would allow for emission at longer wavelengths for LED and LD devices. The amount of Be in the ZnBeO alloy system can be varied to increase the energy bandgap of ZnO to values larger than that of ZnO. The amount of Cd and Se in the ZnCdSeO alloy system can be varied to decrease the energy band gap of ZnO to values smaller than that of ZnO. Each alloy formed can be undoped or can be p-type doped using selected dopant elements, or can be n-type doped using selected dopant elements. The layers and structures formed with both the ZnBeO and ZnCdSeO semiconductor alloys - including undoped, p-type-doped, and n-type-doped types - can be used for fabricating photonic and electronic semiconductor devices for use in photonic and electronic applications. These devices can be used in LEDs, LDs, FETs (field effect transistors), PN junctions, PIN junctions, Schottky barrier diodes, UV detectors and transmitters, and transistors and transparent transistors. They also can be used in applications for lightemitting display, backlighting for displays, UV and

P-type Oxide Semiconductors for Transparent & Energy Efficient Electronics

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhenwei

2018-03-11

Emerging transparent semiconducting oxide (TSO) materials have achieved their initial commercial success in the display industry. Due to the advanced electrical performance, TSOs have been adopted either to improve the performance of traditional displays or to demonstrate the novel transparent and flexible displays. However, due to the lack of feasible p-type TSOs, the applications of TSOs is limited to unipolar (n-type TSOs) based devices. Compared with the prosperous n-type TSOs, the performance of p-type counterparts is lag behind. However, after years of discovery, several p-type TSOs are confirmed with promising performance, for example, tin monoxide (SnO). By using p-type SnO, excellent transistor field-effect mobility of 6.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 has been achieved. Motivated by this encouraging performance, this dissertation is devoted to further evaluate the feasibility of integrating p-type SnO in p-n junctions and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. CMOS inverters are fabricated using p-type SnO and in-situ formed n-type tin dioxide (SnO2). The semiconductors are simultaneously sputtered, which simplifies the process of CMOS inverters. The in-situ formation of SnO2 phase is achieved by selectively sputtering additional capping layer, which serves as oxygen source and helps to balance the process temperature for both types of semiconductors. Oxides based p-n junctions are demonstrated between p-type SnO and n-type SnO2 by magnetron sputtering method. Diode operating ideality factor of 3.4 and rectification ratio of 103 are achieved. A large temperature induced knee voltage shift of 20 mV oC-1 is observed, and explained by the large band gap and shallow states in SnO, which allows minor adjustment of band structure in response to the temperature change. Finally, p-type SnO is used to demonstrating the hybrid van der Waals heterojunctions (vdWHs) with two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) by mechanical exfoliation. The hybrid vdWHs show

p-type ZnO films with solid-source phosphorus doping by molecular-beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiu, F.X.; Yang, Z.; Mandalapu, L.J.; Liu, J.L.; Beyermann, W. P.

2006-01-01

Phosphorus-doped p-type ZnO films were grown on r-plane sapphire substrates using molecular-beam epitaxy with a solid-source GaP effusion cell. X-ray diffraction spectra and reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns indicate that high-quality single crystalline (1120) ZnO films were obtained. Hall and resistivity measurements show that the phosphorus-doped ZnO films have high hole concentrations and low resistivities at room temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements at 8 K reveal a dominant acceptor-bound exciton emission with an energy of 3.317 eV. The acceptor energy level of the phosphorus dopant is estimated to be 0.18 eV above the valence band from PL spectra, which is also consistent with the temperature dependence of PL measurements

Reversible p-type conductivity in H passivated nitrogen and phosphorous codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mannam, Ramanjaneyulu, E-mail: ramu.nov9@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Kumar, E. Senthil [SRM Research Institute, Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu (India); DasGupta, Nandita [Microelectronics and MEMS Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Ramachandra Rao, M.S., E-mail: msrrao@iitm.ac.in [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Electrical transport measurements revel that the (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p-type to n-type over a span of 120 days. • Hydrogen and carbon are found to be the main unintentional impurities in n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films. • Rapid thermal annealing has been used to remove both H and C from the films. • Carbon can be removed at an annealing temperature of 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place only at 800 °C. • The n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin film exhibited change in conductivity to p-type at an annealing temperature of 800 °C. - Abstract: We demonstrate reversible p-type nature of pulsed laser deposited (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing process. As grown thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p to n-type over a span of 120 days. Non-annealed n-type thin films contain unintentional donor impurities such as hydrogen and carbon. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman measurements conclusively show that hydrogen passivates nitrogen acceptors by forming N−H complex. Carbon can be annealed out at 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place at 800 °C. The films revert its p-type nature at an annealing temperature of 800 °C.

Theory of electroconductivity for anisotropic semiconductors of p-Te type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorlej, P.N.; Tomchuk, P.M.; Shenderovskij, V.A.

1975-01-01

The temperature dependence of the electric conductivity tensor has been studied in anisotropic semiconductors of Te-type with the p-type conductivity. The inelastic scattering of carriers on the optical lattice vibrations and on impurity ions is taken into account. From a general equation for the mobility tensor obtained through the variation method rather simple temperature dependences of the mobility are found for various ultimate cases. In particular, a generalization is given of the Convell-Weizscopf equation for the case of anisotropic impurity scattering. In case of a mixed impurity and lattice mechanism of scattering the temperature dependence of the mobility is plotted as a diagram for the semiconductors of p-Te parameters

The role of the VZn-NO-H complex in the p-type conductivity in ZnO.

Science.gov (United States)

Amini, M N; Saniz, R; Lamoen, D; Partoens, B

2015-02-21

Past research efforts aiming at obtaining stable p-type ZnO have been based on complexes involving nitrogen doping. A recent experiment by (J. G. Reynolds et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 2013, 102, 152114) demonstrated a significant (∼10(18) cm(-3)) p-type behavior in N-doped ZnO films after appropriate annealing. The p-type conductivity was attributed to a VZn-NO-H shallow acceptor complex, formed by a Zn vacancy (VZn), N substituting O (NO), and H interstitial (Hi). We present here a first-principles hybrid functional study of this complex compared to the one without hydrogen. Our results confirm that the VZn-NO-H complex acts as an acceptor in ZnO. We find that H plays an important role, because it lowers the formation energy of the complex with respect to VZn-NO, a complex known to exhibit (unstable) p-type behavior. However, this additional H atom also occupies the hole level at the origin of the shallow behavior of VZn-NO, leaving only two states empty higher in the band gap and making the VZn-NO-H complex a deep acceptor. Therefore, we conclude that the cause of the observed p-type conductivity in experiment is not the presence of the VZn-NO-H complex, but probably the formation of the VZn-NO complex during the annealing process.

Methods for enhancing P-type doping in III-V semiconductor films

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Stringfellow, Gerald; Zhu, Junyi

2017-08-01

Methods of doping a semiconductor film are provided. The methods comprise epitaxially growing the III-V semiconductor film in the presence of a dopant, a surfactant capable of acting as an electron reservoir, and hydrogen, under conditions that promote the formation of a III-V semiconductor film doped with the p-type dopant. In some embodiments of the methods, the epitaxial growth of the doped III-V semiconductor film is initiated at a first hydrogen partial pressure which is increased to a second hydrogen partial pressure during the epitaxial growth process.

Photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorods/p-type Si heterojunction structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafal Pietruszka

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Selected properties of photovoltaic (PV structures based on n-type zinc oxide nanorods grown by a low temperature hydrothermal method on p-type silicon substrates (100 are investigated. PV structures were covered with thin films of Al doped ZnO grown by atomic layer deposition acting as transparent electrodes. The investigated PV structures differ in terms of the shapes and densities of their nanorods. The best response is observed for the structure containing closely-spaced nanorods, which show light conversion efficiency of 3.6%.

Efficient solution route to transparent ZnO semiconductor films using colloidal nanocrystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Suehiro

2016-09-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanocrystals (NCs were synthesized by heating Zn (II acetylacetonate in oleic acid/oleylamine in the presence of 1,2-hexadecanediol at 220 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS measurements revealed the formation of monodispersed ZnO NCs of ca. 7 nm. ZnO NC assembled films were fabricated on a glass substrate by deposition with the colloidal ZnO NCs dispersed in toluene. The film composed of the NCs showed good optical transparency in the visible to near-infrared region. A device coupling the ZnO NC film with a p-type Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS NC film exhibited an obvious diode-like current–voltage behavior. The results suggest that the transparent ZnO film has a potentiality to be used for an n-type window layer in some optoelectronic applications.

Structural and optical characterization of indium-antimony complexes in ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Türker, M.; Deicher, M., E-mail: manfred.deicher@tech-phys.uni-sb.de; Johnston, K.; Wolf, H.; Wichert, Th. [Universität des Saarlandes, Experimentalphysik (Germany)

2015-04-15

One of the main obstacles to the technical application of the wide-gap semiconductor ZnO represents the difficulty to achieve reliable p-type doping of ZnO with group V elements (N, P, As, Sb) acting as acceptors located on O lattice sites. The theoretically proposed concepts of cluster-doping or codoping may lead to an enhanced and stable p-type conductivity of ZnO. We report on PAC results obtained by codoping experiments of ZnO by ion implantation using the donor {sup 111}In and the group-V acceptor Sb. The formation of In-Sb pairs has been observed. Based on these PAC results, there is no evidence for the formation of In-acceptor complexes involving more than one Sb acceptor. These results has been complemented by photoluminescence measurements.

Experimental and ab initio study of Ta-doped ZnO semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, E. L., E-mail: munoz@fisica.unlp.edu.ar; Richard, D., E-mail: richard@fisica.unlp.edu.ar [UNLP, Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CCT La Plata, CONICET), Fac. de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina); Eversheim, P. D. [Universitaet Bonn, Helmholtz-Institut fuer Strahlen-und Kernphysik (H-ISKP) (Germany); Renteria, M., E-mail: renteria@fisica.unlp.edu.ar [UNLP, Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CCT La Plata, CONICET), Fac. de Ciencias Exactas (Argentina)

2010-04-15

In this work, we present {gamma}-{gamma} Perturbed-Angular-Correlation results in polycrystalline ZnO semiconductor implanted with {sup 181}Hf({yields}{sup 181}Ta) probes. Calculations in Ta-doped ZnO were carried out using the Full-Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital method in a supercell and varying self-consistently the charge state of the impurity. Ta is a triple donor impurity with respect to Zn{sup 2 + } in ZnO and thus it can loose 1, 2 or 3 donor electrons under certain circumstances. As expected, the comparison between the experimental Electric-Field-Gradient tensor results and our ab initio predictions shows that the Ta impurity is in an ionized charge state at room temperature.

Experimental and ab initio study of Ta-doped ZnO semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muñoz, E. L.; Richard, D.; Eversheim, P. D.; Rentería, M.

2010-01-01

In this work, we present γ–γ Perturbed-Angular-Correlation results in polycrystalline ZnO semiconductor implanted with 181 Hf(→ 181 Ta) probes. Calculations in Ta-doped ZnO were carried out using the Full-Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital method in a supercell and varying self-consistently the charge state of the impurity. Ta is a triple donor impurity with respect to Zn 2 +  in ZnO and thus it can loose 1, 2 or 3 donor electrons under certain circumstances. As expected, the comparison between the experimental Electric-Field-Gradient tensor results and our ab initio predictions shows that the Ta impurity is in an ionized charge state at room temperature.

P-type single-crystalline ZnO films obtained by (N,O) dual implantation through dynamic annealing process

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiyuan; Huang, Jingyun; Chen, Shanshan; Pan, Xinhua; Chen, Lingxiang; Ye, Zhizhen

2016-12-01

Single-crystalline ZnO films were grown on a-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique. The films have been implanted with fixed fluence of 120 keV N and 130 keV O ions at 460 °C. Hall measurements show that the dually-implanted single-crystalline ZnO films exhibit p-type characteristics with hole concentration in the range of 2.1 × 1018-1.1 × 1019 cm-3, hole mobilities between 1.6 and 1.9 cm2 V-1 s-1, and resistivities in the range of 0.353-1.555 Ω cm. The ZnO films exhibit (002) (c-plane) orientation as identified by the X-ray diffraction pattern. It is confirmed that N ions were effectively implanted by SIMS results. Raman spectra, polarized Raman spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reflect that the concentration of oxygen vacancies is reduced, which is attributed to O ion implantation. It is concluded that N and O implantation and dynamic annealing play a critical role in forming p-type single-crystalline ZnO films.

(Ga,Fe)Sb: A p-type ferromagnetic semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Nguyen Thanh; Anh, Le Duc; Tanaka, Masaaki [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Hai, Pham Nam [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-0033 (Japan)

2014-09-29

A p-type ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga{sub 1−x},Fe{sub x})Sb (x = 3.9%–13.7%) has been grown by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs(001) substrates. Reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns during the MBE growth and X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that (Ga,Fe)Sb layers have the zinc-blende crystal structure without any other crystallographic phase of precipitates. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy characterizations indicate that (Ga,Fe)Sb has the zinc-blende band structure with spin-splitting induced by s,p-d exchange interactions. The magnetic field dependence of the MCD intensity and anomalous Hall resistance of (Ga,Fe)Sb show clear hysteresis, demonstrating the presence of ferromagnetic order. The Curie temperature (T{sub C}) increases with increasing x and reaches 140 K at x = 13.7%. The crystal structure analyses, magneto-transport, and magneto-optical properties indicate that (Ga,Fe)Sb is an intrinsic ferromagnetic semiconductor.

Nanosecond X-ray detector based on high resistivity ZnO single crystal semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Xiaolong; He, Yongning, E-mail: yongning@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Peng, Wenbo; Huang, Zhiyong; Qi, Xiaomeng; Pan, Zijian; Zhang, Wenting [School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Chen, Liang; Liu, Jinliang; Zhang, Zhongbing; Ouyang, Xiaoping [Radiation Detection Research Center, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi' an 710024 (China)

2016-04-25

The pulse radiation detectors are sorely needed in the fields of nuclear reaction monitoring, material analysis, astronomy study, spacecraft navigation, and space communication. In this work, we demonstrate a nanosecond X-ray detector based on ZnO single crystal semiconductor, which emerges as a promising compound-semiconductor radiation detection material for its high radiation tolerance and advanced large-size bulk crystal growth technique. The resistivity of the ZnO single crystal is as high as 10{sup 13} Ω cm due to the compensation of the donor defects (V{sub O}) and acceptor defects (V{sub Zn} and O{sub i}) after high temperature annealing in oxygen. The photoconductive X-ray detector was fabricated using the high resistivity ZnO single crystal. The rise time and fall time of the detector to a 10 ps pulse electron beam are 0.8 ns and 3.3 ns, respectively, indicating great potential for ultrafast X-ray detection applications.

Optoelectronic properties of transparent p-type semiconductor Cu{sub x}S thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parreira, P.; Valente, J. [ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Lavareda, G. [Departamento de Fisica, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Nunes, F.T. [Departamento de Ciencia dos Materiais, FCT-UNL, Caparica (Portugal); Amaral, A. [Departamento de Fisica, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal); Carvalho, C.N. de [Departamento de Ciencia dos Materiais, FCT-UNL, Caparica (Portugal); ICEMS, IST-UTL, Lisboa (Portugal)

2010-07-15

Nowadays, among the available transparent semiconductors for device use, the great majority (if not all) have n-type conductivity. The fabrication of a transparent p-type semiconductor with good optoelectronic properties (comparable to those of n-type: InO{sub x}, ITO, ZnO{sub x} or FTO) would significantly broaden the application field of thin films. However, until now no material has yet presented all the required properties. Cu{sub 2}S is a p-type narrow-band-gap material with an average optical transmittance of about 60% in the visible range for 50 nm thick films. However, due to its high conductivity at room temperature, 10 nm in thickness seems to be appropriate for device use. Cu{sub 2}S thin films with 10 nm in thickness have an optical visible transmittance of about 85% rendering them as very good candidates for transparent p-type semiconductors. In this work Cu{sub x}S thin films were deposited on alkali-free (AF) glass by thermal evaporation. The objective was not only the determination of its optoelectronic properties but also the feasibility of an active layer in a p-type thin film transistor. In our Cu{sub x}S thin films, p-type high conductivity with a total visible transmittance of about 50% have been achieved. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Nanostructured p-Type Semiconductor Electrodes and Photoelectrochemistry of Their Reduction Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Bonomo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This review reports the properties of p-type semiconductors with nanostructured features employed as photocathodes in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs. Light absorption is crucial for the activation of the reduction processes occurring at the p-type electrode either in the pristine or in a modified/sensitized state. Beside thermodynamics, the kinetics of the electron transfer (ET process from photocathode to a redox shuttle in the oxidized form are also crucial since the flow of electrons will take place correctly if the ET rate will overcome that one of recombination and trapping events which impede the charge separation produced by the absorption of light. Depending on the nature of the chromophore, i.e., if the semiconductor itself or the chemisorbed dye-sensitizer, different energy levels will be involved in the cathodic ET process. An analysis of the general properties and requirements of electrodic materials of p-type for being efficient photoelectrocatalysts of reduction processes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC will be given. The working principle of p-type DSCs will be described and extended to other p-type PECs conceived and developed for the conversion of the solar radiation into chemical products of energetic/chemical interest like non fossil fuels or derivatives of carbon dioxide.

Direct evidence for As as a Zn-site impurity in ZnO

CERN Document Server

Wahl, Ulrich; Correia, J G; Lourenço-Santana-Marques, Ana Claudia; Alves, E; Carvalho-Soares, José

2005-01-01

Arsenic has been reported in the literature as one of the few p-type dopants in the technologically promising II-VI semiconductor ZnO. However, there is an ongoing debate whether the p-type character is due to As simply replacing O atoms or to the formation of more complicated defect complexes, possibly involving As on Zn sites. We have determined the lattice location of implanted As in ZnO by means of conversion electron emission channeling from radioactive $^{73}$As. In contrast to what one might expect from its nature as a group V element, we find that As does not occupy substitutional O sites but in its large majority substitutional Zn sites. Arsenic in ZnO (and probably also in GaN) is thus an interesting example for an impurity in a semiconductor where the major impurity lattice site is determined by atomic size and electronegativity rather than its position in the periodic system.

P-type single-crystalline ZnO films obtained by (Na,N) dual implantation through dynamic annealing process

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiyuan; Huang, Jingyun; Chen, Shanshan; Pan, Xinhua; Chen, Lingxiang; Ye, Zhizhen

2018-02-01

Single-crystalline ZnO films were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique on c-plane sapphire substrates. The films have been implanted with fixed fluence of 130 keV Na and 90 keV N ions at 460 °C. It is observed that dually-implanted single crystalline ZnO films exhibit p-type characteristics with hole concentration in the range of 1.24 × 1016-1.34 × 1017 cm-3, hole mobilities between 0.65 and 8.37 cm2 V-1 s-1, and resistivities in the range of 53.3-80.7 Ω cm by Hall-effect measurements. There are no other secondary phase appearing, with (0 0 2) (c-plane) orientation after ion implantation as identified by the X-ray diffraction pattern. It is obtained that Na and N ions were successfully implanted and activated as acceptors measured by XPS and SIMS results. Also compared to other similar studies, lower amount of Na and N ions make p-type characteristics excellent as others deposited by traditional techniques. It is concluded that Na and N ion implantation and dynamic annealing are essential in forming p-type single-crystalline ZnO films.

Magnetism in the p-type Monolayer II-VI semiconductors SrS and SrSe

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Heng-Fu; Lau, Woon-Ming; Zhao, Jijun

2017-01-01

Using density functional theory calculations, we study the electronic and magnetic properties of the p-type monolayer II-VI semiconductors SrX (X = S,Se). The pristine SrS and SrSe monolayers are large band gap semiconductor with a very flat band in the top valence band. Upon injecting hole uniformly, ferromagnetism emerges in those system in a large range of hole density. By varying hole density, the systems also show complicated phases transition among nonmagnetic semiconductor, half metal, magnetic semiconductor, and nonmagnetic metal. Furthermore, after introducing p-type dopants in SrS and SrSe via substitutionary inserting P (or As) dopants at the S (or Se) sites, local magnetic moments are formed around the substitutional sites. The local magnetic moments are stable with the ferromagnetic order with appreciable Curie temperature. The ferromagnetism originates from the instability of the electronic states in SrS and SrSe with the large density of states at the valence band edge, which demonstrates a useful strategy for realizing the ferromagnetism in the two dimensional semiconductors. PMID:28378761

Inorganic p-Type Semiconductors: Their Applications and Progress in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Perovskite Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Hsien Li

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Considering the increasing global demand for energy and the harmful ecological impact of conventional energy sources, it is obvious that development of clean and renewable energy is a necessity. Since the Sun is our only external energy source, harnessing its energy, which is clean, non-hazardous and infinite, satisfies the main objectives of all alternative energy strategies. With attractive features, i.e., good performance, low-cost potential, simple processibility, a wide range of applications from portable power generation to power-windows, photoelectrochemical solar cells like dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs represent one of the promising methods for future large-scale power production directly from sunlight. While the sensitization of n-type semiconductors (n-SC has been intensively studied, the use of p-type semiconductor (p-SC, e.g., the sensitization of wide bandgap p-SC and hole transport materials with p-SC have also been attracting great attention. Recently, it has been proved that the p-type inorganic semiconductor as a charge selective material or a charge transport material in organometallic lead halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs shows a significant impact on solar cell performance. Therefore the study of p-type semiconductors is important to rationally design efficient DSCs and PSCs. In this review, recent published works on p-type DSCs and PSCs incorporated with an inorganic p-type semiconductor and our perspectives on this topic are discussed.

Properties of In–N codoped p-type ZnO nanorods grown through a two-step chemical route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duta, M.; Mihaiu, S.; Munteanu, C. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Anastasescu, M., E-mail: manastasescu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Osiceanu, P.; Marin, A.; Preda, S. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Nicolescu, M., E-mail: mnicolescu2006@yahoo.com [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Modreanu, M. [Tyndall National Institute, University College, Cork (Ireland); Zaharescu, M.; Gartner, M. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

2015-07-30

Highlights: • p-Type ZnO film codoped with In, N on glass substrate was obtained. • The films were prepared by sol–gel followed by hydrothermal method. • Influence of annealing regimes on opto-electrical properties was studied. • Thin films morphology consists of interconnected, randomly oriented nanorods. • 3.31 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup −3}carrier concentration and 85% transmission were obtained at 500 °C. - Abstract: By codoping with a donor–acceptor pair through a two-step chemical method we have succeed to obtain p-type ZnO thin films on glass. Firstly, a thin undoped ZnO seed layer was deposited by sol–gel method followed by the deposition of In–N codoped ZnO film obtained through the hydrothermal technique. The influence of post-deposition annealing temperature (100 °C, 300 °C and 500 °C) on the samples was investigated from a structural, chemical, morphological and optoelectrical point of view. X-ray diffractometry (XRD), infrared ellipsometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses have confirmed the codoped nature of the ZnO thin films. The XRD pattern analysis has established the films have wurtzite nanocrystalline structure, the crystallite sizes varying between 10 nm and 13 nm with the annealing temperature. Continuous and homogenous films with nanorods surface morphology has been obtained, as visualized by scanning electron microscopy measurements. Hall Effect measurements have established that all samples, regardless of annealing temperature, showed p-type conduction due to the successful incorporation of nitrogen in the film, with the highest carrier concentration registered at 500 °C. This is in good correlation with the nitrogen content in the films as revealed from XPS. In all samples, the XPS depth profiling has shown a nitrogen gradient with higher elemental concentration at the surface.

Stability and band offsets between c-plane ZnO semiconductor and LaAlO3 gate dielectric

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianli; Chen, Xinfeng; Wu, Shuyin; Tang, Gang; Zhang, Junting; Stampfl, C.

2018-03-01

Wurtzite-perovskite heterostructures composed of a high dielectric constant oxide and a wide bandgap semiconductor envision promising applications in field-effect transistors. In the present paper, the structural and electronic properties of LaAlO3/ZnO heterojunctions are investigated by first-principles calculations. We study the initial adsorption of La, Al, and oxygen atoms on ZnO (0001) and (000 1 ¯ ) surfaces and find that La atoms may occupy interstitial sites during the growth of stoichiometric ZnO (0001). The band gap of the stoichiometric ZnO (0001) surface is smaller than that of the stoichiometric ZnO (000 1 ¯ ) surface. The surface formation energy indicates that La or Al atoms may substitute Zn atoms at the nonstoichiometric ZnO (0001) surface. The atomic charges, electronic density of states, and band offsets are analyzed for the optimized LaAlO3/ZnO heterojunctions. There is a band gap for the LaAlO3/ZnO (000 1 ¯ ) heterostructures, and the largest variation in charge occurs at the surface or interface. Our results suggest that the Al-terminated LaAlO3/ZnO (000 1 ¯ ) interfaces are suitable for the design of metal oxide semiconductor devices because the valence and conduction band offsets are both larger than 1 eV and the interface does not produce any in-gap states.

Synthesis and characterization of Mn-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdel-Galil, A. [Solid State Physics and Accelerators Department, NCRRT, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); Balboul, M.R., E-mail: m_balboul@yahoo.com [Solid State Physics and Accelerators Department, NCRRT, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); Sharaf, A. [Radiation Engineering Department, NCRRT, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt)

2015-11-15

In the present work undoped and Mn doped ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO:Mn), diluted magnetic semiconductors, were successfully synthesized by the sol–gel method at room temperature. The morphology of ZnO nanoparticles constituted by flower-like structures with hexagonal morphologies that changed significantly after the incorporation of Mn. Rietveld refinements results showed that Mn ions are successfully doped into ZnO matrix without altering its wurtzite phase. Meanwhile, Raman spectroscopy analyses confirm the wurtzite structure of undoped ZnO and ZnO:Mn nanoparticles. The lattice parameters increase with increasing Mn content due to the large ionic radius of Mn{sup 2+} compared to that of Zn{sup 2+}. Electron spin resonance measurements were performed to gain information about oxidation state and site occupancy of the magnetic Mn ions in the ZnO lattice. Moreover, UV–vis absorption spectra have been utilized to calculate the optical band gap of the undoped ZnO and ZnO:Mn nanoparticles before and after different γ-irradiation doses. The band gap of ZnO:Mn (2%) is 2.62 eV which is noticeably smaller than the 3.26 eV of undoped ZnO. The thermal decomposition properties of the prepared nanoparticle samples were also studied using simultaneous Thermogravimetric analysis in temperature range from 30 to 500 °C.

Micro-patterned ZnO semiconductors for high performance thin film transistors via chemical imprinting with a PDMS stamp.

Science.gov (United States)

Seong, Kieun; Kim, Kyongjun; Park, Si Yun; Kim, Youn Sang

2013-04-07

Chemical imprinting was conducted on ZnO semiconductor films via a chemical reaction at the contact regions between a micro-patterned PDMS stamp and ZnO films. In addition, we applied the chemical imprinting on Li doped ZnO thin films for high performance TFTs fabrication. The representative micro-patterned Li doped ZnO TFTs showed a field effect mobility of 4.2 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) after sintering at 300 °C.

n/p-Type changeable semiconductor TiO{sub 2} prepared from NTA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Qiuye; Wang Xiaodong; Jin Zhensheng, E-mail: zhenshengjin@henu.edu.cn; Yang Dagang; Zhang Shunli; Guo Xinyong; Yang Jianjun; Zhang Zhijun [Henan University, Key Laboratory of Special Functional Materials (China)

2007-10-15

A novel kind of nano-sized TiO{sub 2} (anatase) was obtained by high-temperature (400-700 deg. C) dehydration of nanotube titanic acid (H{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 4}(OH){sub 2}, NTA). The high-temperature (400-700 deg. C) dehydrated nanotube titanic acids (HD-NTAs) with a unique defect structure exhibited a p-type semiconductor behavior under visible-light irradiation ({lambda}{>=} 420nm, E{sub photon}=2.95 eV), whereas exhibited an n-type semiconductor behavior irradiated with UV light ({lambda}{>=} 365nm, E{sub photon}=3.40 eV)

Homojunction p-n photodiodes based on As-doped single ZnO nanowire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, H. D.; Zakirov, A. S.; Yuldashev, Sh. U.; Kang, T. W.; Ahn, C. W.; Yeo, Y. K.

2013-01-01

Photovoltaic device was successfully grown solely based on the single ZnO p-n homojunction nanowire. The ZnO nanowire p-n diode consists of an as-grown n-type segment and an in-situ arsenic doped p-type segment. This p-n homojunction acts as a good photovoltaic cell, producing a photocurrent almost 45 times larger than the dark current under reverse-biased condition. Our results demonstrate that present ZnO p-n homojunction nanowire can be used as a self-powered ultraviolet photodetector as well as a photovoltaic cell, which can also be used as an ultralow electrical power source for nano-scale electronic, optoelectronic, and medical devices

Photoelectrochemical Stability and Alteration Products of n-Type Single-Crystal ZnO Photoanodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. E. Paulauskas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The photoelectrochemical stability and surface-alteration characteristics of doped and undoped n-type ZnO single-crystal photoanode electrodes were investigated. The single-crystal ZnO photoanode properties were analyzed using current-voltage measurements plus spectral and time-dependent quantum-yield methods. These measurements revealed a distinct anodic peak and an accompanying cathodic surface degradation process at negative potentials. The features of this peak depended on time and the NaOH concentration in the electrolyte, but were independent of the presence of electrode illumination. Current measurements performed at the peak indicate that charging and discharging effects are apparently taking place at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. This result is consistent with the significant reactive degradation that takes place on the ZnO single crystal photoanode surface and that ultimately leads to the reduction of the ZnO surface to Zn metal. The resulting Zn-metal reaction products create unusual, dendrite-like, surface alteration structural features that were analyzed using x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. ZnO doping methods were found to be effective in increasing the n-type character of the crystals. Higher doping levels result in smaller depletion widths and lower quantum yields, since the minority carrier diffusion lengths are very short in these materials.

Doping Asymmetry Problem in ZnO: Current Status and Outlook. A Review of Experimental and Theoretical Efforts Focused on Achieving P-Type ZnO Suitable for Light-Emitting Optoelectronic Devices for the Blue/Ultraviolet Spectral Range

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-24

dominant acceptors in the as-grown n-type ZnO as shown by positron annihilation spectroscopy [19]. To date, n-type doping is relatively well established...recently as a promising material for a variety of applications . To a large extent, the renewed interest in ZnO is fuelled by its wide direct band gap (3.3...problem (also dubbed as the p-type problem in ZnO) is preventing applications of ZnO in light-emitting diodes and potential laser diodes. In this article

Cross-section imaging and p-type doping assessment of ZnO/ZnO:Sb core-shell nanowires by scanning capacitance microscopy and scanning spreading resistance microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Lin, E-mail: lin.wang@insa-lyon.fr; Brémond, Georges [Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL), Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5270, INSA Lyon, Bat. Blaise Pascal, 7 Avenue, Jean Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne (France); Sallet, Vincent; Sartel, Corinne [Groupe d' étude de la Matière Condensée (GEMaC), CNRS - Université de Versailles St Quentin en Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, 45 Avenue des Etats-Unis, 78035 Versailles (France)

2016-08-29

ZnO/ZnO:Sb core-shell structured nanowires (NWs) were grown by the metal organic chemical vapor deposition method where the shell was doped with antimony (Sb) in an attempt to achieve ZnO p-type conduction. To directly investigate the Sb doping effect in ZnO, scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) and scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) were performed on the NWs' cross-sections mapping their two dimensional (2D) local electrical properties. Although no direct p-type inversion in ZnO was revealed, a lower net electron concentration was pointed out for the Sb-doped ZnO shell layer with respect to the non-intentionally doped ZnO core, indicating an evident compensating effect as a result of the Sb incorporation, which can be ascribed to the formation of Sb-related acceptors. The results demonstrate SCM/SSRM investigation being a direct and effective approach for characterizing radial semiconductor one-dimensional (1D) structures and, particularly, for the doping study on the ZnO nanomaterial towards its p-type realization.

Synthesis and characterization of metal oxide semiconductors by a facile co-electroplating-annealing method and formation of ZnO/CuO pn heterojunctions with rectifying behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Turkdogan, Sunay; Kilic, Bayram

2018-01-01

We have developed a unique growth method and demonstrated the growth of CuO and ZnO semiconductor materials and the fabrication of their pn heterojunctions in ambient atmosphere. The pn heterojunctions were constructed using inherently p-type CuO and inherently n-type ZnO materials. Both p- and n-type semiconductors and pn heterojunctions were prepared using a simple but versatile growth method that relies on the transformation of electroplated Cu and Zn metals into CuO and ZnO semiconductors, respectively and is capable of a large-scale production desired in most of the applications. The structural, chemical, optical and electrical properties of the materials and junctions were investigated using various characterization methods and the results show that our growth method, materials and devices are quite promising to be utilized for various applications including but not limited to solar cells, gas/humidity sensors and photodetectors.

Acceptors in ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCluskey, Matthew D., E-mail: mattmcc@wsu.edu; Corolewski, Caleb D.; Lv, Jinpeng; Tarun, Marianne C.; Teklemichael, Samuel T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814 (United States); Walter, Eric D. [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States); Norton, M. Grant; Harrison, Kale W. [School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2920 (United States); Ha, Su [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6515 (United States)

2015-03-21

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has potential for a range of applications in the area of optoelectronics. The quest for p-type ZnO has focused much attention on acceptors. In this paper, Cu, N, and Li acceptor impurities are discussed. Experimental evidence indicates these point defects have acceptor levels 3.2, 1.4, and 0.8 eV above the valence-band maximum, respectively. The levels are deep because the ZnO valence band is quite low compared to conventional, non-oxide semiconductors. Using MoO{sub 2} contacts, the electrical resistivity of ZnO:Li was measured and showed behavior consistent with bulk hole conduction for temperatures above 400 K. A photoluminescence peak in ZnO nanocrystals is attributed to an acceptor, which may involve a Zn vacancy. High field (W-band) electron paramagnetic resonance measurements on the nanocrystals revealed an axial center with g{sub ⊥} = 2.0015 and g{sub //} = 2.0056, along with an isotropic center at g = 2.0035.

Properties of Semiconductors: Synthesis of Oriented ZnO for Photoelectrochemistry and Photoremediation

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Emma; Jacobs, Ari; Lisensky, George

2017-01-01

Semiconductors are an important class of materials; preparing ZnO nanorods allows semiconducting properties to be easily observed. The week before lab, groups of four students take 15 min to setup two fluorine-doped tin oxide glass (FTO) slides in a zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine solution stored at 90°C until the next lab. Hexagonal ZnO…

Control of N/N2 species ratio in NO plasma for p-type doping of ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xingyou; Zhang Zhenzhong; Jiang Mingming; Wang Shuangpeng; Li Binghui; Shan Chongxin; Liu Lei; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen; Yao Bin

2011-01-01

Nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films were grown on c-plane sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) substrates via plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy using plasma activated nitric oxide (NO) as the oxygen source and dopant. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that a small NO flux benefits the crystal quality of the thin films. Hall effect measurements indicate that the electron density of the ZnO films decreases gradually with decreasing NO flux, and the conduction reverses to p-type at a certain flux. Optical emission spectra indicate that the N atom content in the NO plasma increases with decreasing NO flux, and the origin of this is discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the number of N atom occupied O sites in the ZnO lattice increases correspondingly.

Key Topics in Producing New Ultraviolet Led and Laser Devices Based on Transparent Semiconductor Zinc Oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuezemen, S.

2004-01-01

Recently, it has been introduced that ZnO as II-VI semiconductor is promising various technological applications, especially for optoelectronic short wavelength light emitting devices due to its wide and direct band gap profile. The most important advantage of ZnO over the other currently used wide band gap semiconductors such as GaN is that its nearly 3 times higher exciton binding energy (60 meV), which permits efficient excitonic emission at room temperature and above. As-grown ZnO is normally n-type because of the Zn-rich defects such as zinc interstitials (Zn i ) oxygen vacancies (Vo), natively acting as shallow donors and main source of n-type conductivity in as-grown material. Therefore, making p-type ZnO has been more difficult due to unintentional compensation of possible acceptors by these residual donors. In order to develop electro luminescent and laser devices based on the ultraviolet (UV) exciton emission of ZnO, it will be important to fabricate good p-n junctions. Attempts to observe p-type conductivity in ours and our collaborators' laboratories in USA, either by co-doping with N or tuning O pressure have been first successful achievements, resulting in hole concentrations up to 10 1 9 cm - 3 in reactively sputtered thin layers of ZnO. Moreover, in order to produce ZnO based quantum well lasers similar to the previously introduced n-AlGaAs/GaAs/p-AlGaAs structures; we have attempted to grow Zn 1 -xSn x O thin films to enlarge the band gap energy. An increase up to 170 meV has been observed in Zn 1 -xSn x O thin films and this is enough barrier to be able to trap electron-hole pairs in quantum well structures. As a result, two important key issues; p-type conductivity and enhancement of the band gap energy in order to step forward towards the production of electro luminescent UV LEDs and quantum well lasers have been investigated and will be presented in this study

Prediction and theoretical characterization of p-type organic semiconductor crystals for field-effect transistor applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Atahan-Evrenk, Sule; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2014-01-01

The theoretical prediction and characterization of the solid-state structure of organic semiconductors has tremendous potential for the discovery of new high performance materials. To date, the theoretical analysis mostly relied on the availability of crystal structures obtained through X-ray diffraction. However, the theoretical prediction of the crystal structures of organic semiconductor molecules remains a challenge. This review highlights some of the recent advances in the determination of structure-property relationships of the known organic semiconductor single-crystals and summarizes a few available studies on the prediction of the crystal structures of p-type organic semiconductors for transistor applications.

Effect of doping concentration on the conductivity and optical properties of p-type ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pathak, Trilok Kumar [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India); Kumar, Vinod, E-mail: vinod.phy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Purohit, L.P., E-mail: proflppurohitphys@gmail.com [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India)

2016-01-01

Nitrogen doped ZnO (NZO) thin films were synthesized on glass substrates by the sol–gel and spin coating method. Zinc acetate dihydrates and ammonium acetate were used as precursors for zinc and nitrogen, respectively. X-ray diffraction study showed that the thin films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure corresponding (002) peak for undoped and doped ZnO thin films. The transmittance of the films was above 80% and the band gap of the film varies from 3.21±0.03 eV for undoped and doped ZnO. The minimum resistivity of NZO thin films was obtained as 0.473 Ω cm for the 4 at% of nitrogen (N) doping with a mobility of 1.995 cm{sup 2}/V s. The NZO thin films showed p-type conductivity at 2 and 3 at% of N doping. The AC conductivity measurements that were carried out in the frequency range 10 kHz to 0.1 MHz showed localized conduction in the NZO thin films. These highly transparent ZnO films can be used as a possible window layer in solar cells.

Polarity effects in the x-ray photoemission of ZnO and other wurtzite semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M. W.; Zemlyanov, D. Y.; Waterhouse, G. I. N.; Metson, J. B.; Veal, T. D.; McConville, C. F.; Durbin, S. M.

2011-01-01

Significant polarity-related effects were observed in the near-surface atomic composition and valence band electronic structure of ZnO single crystals, investigated by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy using both Al K α (1486.6 eV) and synchrotron radiation (150 to 1486 eV). In particular, photoemission from the lowest binding energy valence band states was found to be significantly more intense on the Zn-polar face compared to the O-polar face. This is a consistent effect that can be used as a simple, nondestructive indicator of crystallographic polarity in ZnO and other wurtzite semiconductors.

ZnO - Wide Bandgap Semiconductor and Possibilities of Its Application in Optical Waveguide Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Struk Przemysław

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of investigations concerning the application of zinc oxide - a wideband gap semiconductor in optical planar waveguide structures. ZnO is a promising semiconducting material thanks to its attractive optical properties. The investigations were focused on the determination of the technology of depositions and the annealing of ZnO layers concerning their optical properties. Special attention was paid to the determination of characteristics of the refractive index of ZnO layers and their coefficients of spectral transmission within the UV-VIS-NIR range. Besides that, also the mode characteristics and the attenuation coefficients of light in the obtained waveguide structures have been investigated. In the case of planar waveguides, in which the ZnO layers have not been annealed after their deposition, the values of the attenuation coefficient of light modes amount to a~ 30 dB/cm. The ZnO layers deposited on the heated substrate and annealed by rapid thermal annealing in an N2 and O2 atmosphere, are characterized by much lower values of the attenuation coefficients: a~ 3 dB/cm (TE0 and TM0 modes. The ZnO optical waveguides obtained according to our technology are characterized by the lowest values of the attenuation coefficients a encountered in world literature concerning the problem of optical waveguides based on ZnO. Studies have shown that ZnO layers elaborated by us can be used in integrated optic systems, waveguides, optical modulators and light sources.

Control of N/N{sub 2} species ratio in NO plasma for p-type doping of ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Xingyou [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3888 Dongnanhu Road, Changchun, 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang Zhenzhong; Jiang Mingming; Wang Shuangpeng; Li Binghui; Shan Chongxin; Liu Lei; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes and Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3888 Dongnanhu Road, Changchun, 130033 (China); Yao Bin [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials and College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China)

2011-09-01

Nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films were grown on c-plane sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates via plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy using plasma activated nitric oxide (NO) as the oxygen source and dopant. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that a small NO flux benefits the crystal quality of the thin films. Hall effect measurements indicate that the electron density of the ZnO films decreases gradually with decreasing NO flux, and the conduction reverses to p-type at a certain flux. Optical emission spectra indicate that the N atom content in the NO plasma increases with decreasing NO flux, and the origin of this is discussed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the number of N atom occupied O sites in the ZnO lattice increases correspondingly.

Preparation and characterization of ZnO transparent semiconductor thin films by sol-gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsay, Chien-Yie; Fan, Kai-Shiung; Chen, Sih-Han; Tsai, Chia-Hao

2010-01-01

Transparent semiconductor thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) were deposited onto alkali-free glass substrates by the sol-gel method and spin-coating technique. In this study, authors investigate the influence of the heating rate of the preheating process (4 or 10 o C/min) on the crystallization, surface morphology, and optical properties of sol-gel derived ZnO thin films. The ZnO sol was synthesized by dissolving zinc acetate dehydrate in ethanol, and then adding monoethanolamine. The as-coated films were preheated at 300 o C for 10 min and annealed at 500 o C for 1 h in air ambiance. Experimental results indicate that the heating rate of the preheating process strongly affected the surface morphology and transparency of ZnO thin film. Specifically, a heating rate of 10 o C/min for the preheating process produces a preferred orientation along the (0 0 2) plane and a high transmittance of 92% at a wavelength of 550 nm. Furthermore, this study reports the fabrication of thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a transparent ZnO active channel layer and evaluates their electrical performance.

An analysis of the extension of a ZnO piezoelectric semiconductor nanofiber under an axial force

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chunli; Wang, Xiaoyuan; Chen, Weiqiu; Yang, Jiashi

2017-02-01

This paper presents a theoretical analysis on the axial extension of an n-type ZnO piezoelectric semiconductor nanofiber under an axial force. The phenomenological theory of piezoelectric semiconductors consisting of Newton’s second law of motion, the charge equation of electrostatics and the conservation of charge was used. The equations were linearized for small axial force and hence small electron concentration perturbation, and were reduced to one-dimensional equations for thin fibers. Simple and analytical expressions for the electromechanical fields and electron concentration in the fiber were obtained. The fields are either totally or partially described by hyperbolic functions relatively large near the ends of the fiber and change rapidly there. The behavior of the fields is sensitive to the initial electron concentration and the applied axial force. For higher initial electron concentrations the fields are larger near the ends and change more rapidly there.

Superior photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO nanorods/poly(3-hexylthiophene) hybrid photoanodes

Science.gov (United States)

Majumder, T.; Hmar, J. J. L.; Dhar, S.; Mondal, S. P.

2017-06-01

Photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer hybrid photoanodes have been studied. The hybrid photoanodes demonstrated higher photoconversion efficiency, incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) and lower interfacial resistance compared to pristine ZnO nanorods and P3HT based electrodes. The origin of superior photoelectrochemical properties of ZnO/P3HT photoanodes has been explained using carrier transport mechanism at semiconductor/electrolyte junction. The stability of ZnO NRs/P3HT photoanode has been demonstrated.

Thermoelectric properties of the 3C, 2H, 4H, and 6H polytypes of the wide-band-gap semiconductors SiC, GaN, and ZnO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Huang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have investigated the thermoelectric properties of the 3C, 2H, 4H, and 6H polytypes of the wide-band-gap(n-type semiconductors SiC, GaN, and ZnO based on first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory. Our results show that the thermoelectric performance increases from 3C to 6H, 4H, and 2H structures with an increase of hexagonality for SiC. However, for GaN and ZnO, their power factors show a very weak dependence on the polytype. Detailed analysis of the thermoelectric properties with respect to temperature and carrier concentration of 4H-SiC, 2H-GaN, and 2H-ZnO shows that the figure of merit of these three compounds increases with temperature, indicating the promising potential applications of these thermoelectric materials at high temperature. The significant difference of the polytype-dependent thermoelectric properties among SiC, GaN, and ZnO might be related to the competition between covalency and ionicity in these semiconductors. Our calculations may provide a new way to enhance the thermoelectric properties of wide-band-gap semiconductors through atomic structure design, especially hexagonality design for SiC.

ZnO based transparent conductive oxide films with controlled type of conduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaharescu, M., E-mail: mzaharescu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Mihaiu, S., E-mail: smihaiu@icf.ro [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Toader, A. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Atkinson, I., E-mail: irinaatkinson@yahoo.com [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Calderon-Moreno, J.; Anastasescu, M.; Nicolescu, M.; Duta, M.; Gartner, M. [Institute of Physical Chemistry “Ilie Murgulescu”, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Vojisavljevic, K.; Malic, B. [Institute Jožef Stefan, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ivanov, V.A.; Zaretskaya, E.P. [State Scientific and Production Association “Scientific-Practical Materials Research Center of the National Academy of Science Belarus, P. Brovska str.19, 220072, Minsk (Belarus)

2014-11-28

The transparent conductive oxide films with controlled type of conduction are of great importance and their preparation is intensively studied. In our work, the preparation of such films based on doped ZnO was realized in order to achieve controlled type of conduction and high concentration of the charge carriers. Sol–gel method was used for films preparation and several dopants were tested (Sn, Li, Ni). Multilayer deposition was performed on several substrates: SiO{sub 2}/Si wafers, silica-soda-lime and/or silica glasses. The structural and morphological characterization of the obtained films were done by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy respectively, while spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmittance measurements were done for determination of optical properties. The selected samples with the best structural, morphological and optical properties were subjected to electrical measurement (Hall and Seebeck effect). In all studied cases, samples with good adherence and homogeneous morphology as well as monophasic wurtzite type structure were obtained. The optical constants (refractive index and extinction coefficient) were calculated from spectroscopic ellipsometry data using Cauchy model. Films with n- or p-type conduction were obtained depending on the composition, number of deposition and thermal treatment temperature. - Highlights: • Transparent conductive ZnO based thin films were prepared by the sol–gel method. • Controlled type of conduction is obtained in (Sn, Li) doped and Li-Ni co-doped ZnO films. • Hall and Seebeck measurements proved the p-type conductivity for Li-Ni co-doped ZnO films. • The p-type conductivity was maintained even after 4-months of storage. • Influence of dopant- and substrate-type on the ZnO films properties was established.

Novel room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Amita [KTH Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)

2004-06-01

distribution of Mn substituting for Zn a 2⁺ state in the ZnO lattice. Ferromagnetic Resonance (FMR) technique is used to confirm the existence of ferromagnetic ordering at temperatures as high as 425K. The ab initio calculations were found to be consistent with the observation of ferromagnetism arising from fully polarized Mn 2⁺ state. The key to observed room temperature ferromagnetism in this system is the low temperature processing, which prevents formation of clusters, secondary phases and the host ZnO from becoming n-type. The electronic structure of the same Mn doped ZnO thin films studied using XAS, XES and RIXS, revealed a strong hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p states, which is an important characteristic of a Dilute magnetic Semiconductor (DMS). It is shown that the various processing conditions like sintering temperature, dopant concentration and the properties of precursors used for making of DMS have a great influence on the final properties. Use of various experimental techniques to verify the physical properties, and to understand the mechanism involved to give rise to ferromagnetism is presented. Methods to improve the magnetic moment in Mn doped ZnO are also described. New promising DMS materials (such as Cu doped ZnO are explored). The demonstrated new capability to fabricate powder, pellets, and thin films of room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors thus makes possible the realization of a wide range of complex elements for a variety of new multifunctional phenomena related to Spintronic devices as well as magneto-optic components.

Effect of High Temperature Annealing on Conduction-Type ZnO Films Prepared by Direct-Current Magnetron Sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Li-Jie; He Dong-Kai; Xu Xiao-Qiu; Zhong Ze; Wu Xiao-Peng; Lin Bi-Xia; Fu Zhu-Xi

2010-01-01

We experimentally find that the ZnO thin films deposited by dc-magnetron sputtering have different conduction types after annealing at high temperature in different ambient. Hall measurements show that ZnO films annealed at 1100°C in N 2 and in O 2 ambient become n-type and p-type, respectively. This is due to the generation of different intrinsic defects by annealing in different ambient. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photolumi-nescence measurements indicate that zinc interstitial becomes a main defects after annealing at 1100°C in N 2 ambient, and these defects play an important role for n-type conductivity of ZnO. While the ZnO films annealed at 1100°C in O 2 ambient, the oxygen antisite contributes ZnO films to p-type. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

Transparent p-type SnO nanowires with unprecedented hole mobility among oxide semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Caraveo-Frescas, J. A.

2013-11-25

p-type tin monoxide (SnO) nanowire field-effect transistors with stable enhancement mode behavior and record performance are demonstrated at 160 °C. The nanowire transistors exhibit the highest field-effect hole mobility (10.83 cm2 V−1 s−1) of any p-type oxide semiconductor processed at similar temperature. Compared to thin film transistors, the SnO nanowire transistors exhibit five times higher mobility and one order of magnitude lower subthreshold swing. The SnO nanowire transistors show three times lower threshold voltages (−1 V) than the best reported SnO thin film transistors and fifteen times smaller than p-type Cu 2O nanowire transistors. Gate dielectric and process temperature are critical to achieving such performance.

Investigations of p-type signal for ZnO thin films grown on (100)GaAs substrates by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, D.J. [Nanovation SARL, Orsay (France); Univ. de Technologie de Troyes, Troyes (France); Hosseini Teherani, F. [Nanovation SARL, Orsay (France); Monteiro, T.; Soares, M.; Neves, A.; Carmo, M.; Correia, M.R. [Physics Dept., Univ. of Aveiro (Portugal); Pereira, S. [Physics Dept., Univ. of Aveiro (Portugal); Inst. Tecnologico e Nuclear, Sacavem (Portugal); Lusson, A. [Inst. d' Electronique Fondamentale, Orsay Univ. (France); LPSC - CNRS, Meudon (France); Alves, E.; Barradas, N.P. [Inst. Tecnologico e Nuclear, Sacavem (Portugal); Morrod, J.K.; Prior, K.A. [Physics Dept., Heriot Watt Univ., Edinburgh Scotland (United Kingdom); Kung, P.; Yasan, A.; Razeghi, M. [Center for Quantum Devices, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)

2006-03-15

In this work we investigated ZnO films grown on semi-insulating (100)GaAs substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Samples were studied using techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature dependent photoluminescence, C-V profiling and temperature dependent Hall measurements. The Hall measurements showed a clear p-type response with a relatively high mobility ({proportional_to}260 cm{sup 2}/Vs) and a carrier concentration of {proportional_to}1.8 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. C-V profiling confirmed a p-type response. XRD and Raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of (0002) oriented wurtzite ZnO plus secondary phase(s) including (101) oriented Zn{sub 2}As{sub 2}O{sub 7}. The results suggest that significant atomic mixing was occurring at the film/substrate interface for films grown at substrate temperatures of 450 C (without post-annealing). (orig.)

Synthesis and characterization of polymer matrix composite material with combination of ZnO filler and nata de coco fiber as a candidate of semiconductor material

Science.gov (United States)

Saputra, Asep Handaya; Anindita, Hana Nabila

2015-12-01

Synthesis of semiconductor composite using acrylic matrix filled with ZnO and nata de coco fiber has been conducted in this research. The purpose of this research is to obtain semiconductor composite material that has a good mechanical strength and thermal resistance. In situ polymerization method is used in this research and the composites are ready to be characterized after 12 hours. The main parameter that is characterized is the electric conductivity of the composite. Additional parameters are also characterized such as composite's elastic modulus and glass transition temperature. The composites that has been made in this research can be classified as semiconductor material because the conductivity is in the range of 10-8-103 S/cm. In general the addition of ZnO and nata de coco filler can increase the conductivity of the composite. The highest semiconductor characteristic in acrylic/ZnO composite is obtained from 30% volume filler that reach 3.4 x 10-7 S/cm. Similar with acrylic/ZnO composite, in acrylic/nata de coco fiber composite the highest semiconductor characteristic is also obtained from 30% volume filler that reach 1.15 x 10-7 S/cm. Combination of 20% volume of ZnO, 10% volume of nata de coco, and 70% volume of acrylic resulting in composite with electric conductivity of 1.92 x 10-7 S/cm. In addition, combination of ZnO and nata de coco fiber as filler in composite can also improve the characteristic of composite where composite with 20% volume of ZnO filler and 10% volume of nata de coco fiber resulting in composite with elastic modulus of 1.79 GPa and glass transition temperature of 175.73°C which is higher than those in acrylic/ZnO composite.

Thermodynamic analysis of Mg-doped p-type GaN semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jingbo; Liang Jingkui; Rao Guanghui; Zhang Yi; Liu Guangyao; Chen Jingran; Liu Quanlin; Zhang Weijing

2006-01-01

A thermodynamic modeling of Mg-doped p-type GaN was carried out to describe the thermodynamic behaviors of native defects, dopants (Mg and H) and carriers in GaN. The formation energies of charged component compounds in a four-sublattice model were defined as functions of the Fermi-level based on the results of the first-principles calculations and adjusted to fit experimental data. The effect of the solubility of Mg on the low doping efficiency of Mg in GaN and the role of H in the Mg-doping MOCVD process were discussed. The modeling provides a thermodynamic approach to understand the doping process of GaN semiconductors

On-chip surface modified nanostructured ZnO as functional pH sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Qing; Liu, Wenpeng; Sun, Chongling; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Zhang, Daihua; Duan, Xuexin

2015-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures are promising candidates as electronic components for biological and chemical applications. In this study, ZnO ultra-fine nanowire (NW) and nanoflake (NF) hybrid structures have been prepared by Au-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under ambient pressure. Their surface morphology, lattice structures, and crystal orientation were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two types of ZnO nanostructures were successfully integrated as gate electrodes in extended-gate field-effect transistors (EGFETs). Due to the amphoteric properties of ZnO, such devices function as pH sensors. We found that the ultra-fine NWs, which were more than 50 μm in length and less than 100 nm in diameter, performed better in the pH sensing process than NW–NF hybrid structures because of their higher surface-to-volume ratio, considering the Nernst equation and the Gouy–Chapman–Stern model. Furthermore, the surface coating of (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) protects ZnO nanostructures in both acidic and alkaline environments, thus enhancing the device stability and extending its pH sensing dynamic range. (paper)

Reinventing a p-type doping process for stable ZnO light emitting devices

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xiuhua; Li, Binghui; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Shen, Dezhen

2018-06-01

A tough challenge for zinc oxide (ZnO) as the ultraviolet optoelectronics materials is realizing the stable and reliable p-type conductivity. Self-compensation, coming from native donor-type point defects, is a big obstacle. In this work, we introduce a dynamic N doping process with molecular beam epitaxy, which is accomplished by a Zn, N-shutter periodic switch (a certain time shift between them for independent optimization of surface conditions). During the epitaxy, N adatoms are incorporated under the condition of (2  ×  2)  +  Zn vacancies reconstruction on a Zn-polar surface, at which oxygen vacancies (V O), the dominating compensating donors, are suppressed. With the p-ZnO with sufficient holes surviving, N concentration ~1  ×  1019 cm‑3, is employed in a p-i-n light emitting devices. Significant ultraviolet emission of electroluminescence spectra without broad green band (related to V O) at room-temperature are demonstrated. The devices work incessantly without intentional cooling for over 300 h at a luminous intensity reduction of one order of magnitude under the driving of a 10 mA continuous current, which are the demonstration for p-ZnO stability and reliability.

Lattice location of implanted As in ZnO

CERN Document Server

Wahl, U; Correia, J G; Marques, A C; Alves, E; Soares, J C

2007-01-01

Radioactive 73As ions were implanted into a ZnO single crystal at room temperature with 60 keV up to a fluence of 2×1013 cm−2. Subsequently, the angular emission channeling patterns of emitted conversion electrons were recorded by means of a position-sensitive detector in the as-implanted state and following annealing up to 900 C, and were compared to simulated emission yields for a variety of different lattice sites. We find that As does not occupy substitutional O sites, but mainly occupies the substitutional Zn sites. The fraction of As on O sites was at most a few per cent. Arsenic in ZnO is thus an interesting example of an impurity in a semiconductor where the major impurity lattice site is determined by atomic size and electronegativity rather than its position in the periodic system. Possible consequences with respect to the role of arsenic as a p-type dopant in ZnO are being discussed.

Two-dimensional ferromagnet/semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenide contacts: p-type Schottky barrier and spin-injection control

KAUST Repository

Gan, Liyong; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Zhang, Qingyun

2013-01-01

We study the ferromagnet/semiconductor contacts formed by transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers, focusing on semiconducting MoS2 and WS2 and ferromagnetic VS2. We investigate the degree of p-type doping and demonstrate tuning of the Schottky barrier height by vertical compressive pressure. An analytical model is presented for the barrier heights that accurately describes the numerical findings and is expected to be of general validity for all transition metal dichalcogenide metal/semiconductor contacts. Furthermore, magnetic proximity effects induce a 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level in the semiconductor where the spin splitting increases up to 0.70 eV for increasing pressure.

Two-dimensional ferromagnet/semiconductor transition metal dichalcogenide contacts: p-type Schottky barrier and spin-injection control

KAUST Repository

Gan, Liyong

2013-09-26

We study the ferromagnet/semiconductor contacts formed by transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers, focusing on semiconducting MoS2 and WS2 and ferromagnetic VS2. We investigate the degree of p-type doping and demonstrate tuning of the Schottky barrier height by vertical compressive pressure. An analytical model is presented for the barrier heights that accurately describes the numerical findings and is expected to be of general validity for all transition metal dichalcogenide metal/semiconductor contacts. Furthermore, magnetic proximity effects induce a 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level in the semiconductor where the spin splitting increases up to 0.70 eV for increasing pressure.

Magnetic properties in (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO nanowire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Huawei; Lu, Pengfei; Cong, Zixiang; Yu, Zhongyuan; Cai, Ningning; Zhang, Xianlong; Gao, Tao; Wang, Shumin

2013-01-01

Using the first-principles density functional theory, we have studied the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires systematically. The calculated results of formation energy indicate that the configuration of the lowest energy where Mn and Fe atoms form nearest neighbors on the outer cylindrical surface layer along the [0001] direction, will be determined. The magnetic coupling of 8 types of Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires was investigated and ferromagnetic state was found in certain configurations. The mechanism is from the fierce hybridization between 3d of Mn and Fe with O 2p near the Fermi level. The relative energy difference for configuration VIII is 0.221 eV, which indicates that room temperature ferromagnetism could be obtained in such a system and Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires are a promising nanoscale spintronic material. - Highlights: • The stable structure prefers that Mn/Fe form nearest neighbors on the outer surface. • The fierce p–d hybridization is responsible for ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. • Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowire is a promising FM semiconductor material

Magnetic properties in (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO nanowire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Huawei [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Lu, Pengfei, E-mail: photon.bupt@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Cong, Zixiang [School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100976 (China); Yu, Zhongyuan; Cai, Ningning; Zhang, Xianlong [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Gao, Tao [Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Wang, Shumin [Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Gothenburg (Sweden); State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China)

2013-12-02

Using the first-principles density functional theory, we have studied the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires systematically. The calculated results of formation energy indicate that the configuration of the lowest energy where Mn and Fe atoms form nearest neighbors on the outer cylindrical surface layer along the [0001] direction, will be determined. The magnetic coupling of 8 types of Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires was investigated and ferromagnetic state was found in certain configurations. The mechanism is from the fierce hybridization between 3d of Mn and Fe with O 2p near the Fermi level. The relative energy difference for configuration VIII is 0.221 eV, which indicates that room temperature ferromagnetism could be obtained in such a system and Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowires are a promising nanoscale spintronic material. - Highlights: • The stable structure prefers that Mn/Fe form nearest neighbors on the outer surface. • The fierce p–d hybridization is responsible for ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. • Mn/Fe codoped ZnO nanowire is a promising FM semiconductor material.

High power Co3O4/ZnO p–n type piezoelectric transducer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Yuh-Chung; Lee, Tsung-Han; Chang, Pei-Zen; Su, Pei-Chen

2015-01-01

Enhancing the output power of piezoelectric transducer is essential in order to supply sufficient and sustainable power to wireless sensor nodes or electronic devices. In this work, a Co 3 O 4 /ZnO p–n type power piezoelectric transducer which can be operated at low frequencies has been developed by utilizing n-type semiconducting zinc oxide (ZnO) and p-type semiconducting tricobalt tetroxide (Co 3 O 4 ). We utilize ZnO to be the piezoelectric transducer and build a multi-layer (Au/Co 3 O 4 /ZnO/Ti) thin film structure. The ZnO thin film with preferred orientation along the (002) plane was deposited under optimized deposition conditions on the flexible titanium (Ti) foil with thickness of 80 μm. The Co 3 O 4 /ZnO interface forms a p–n junction and increases the difference in Fermi levels between the two electrodes, resulting in the great enhancement of output power. The measured output power of the p–n type piezoelectric transducer with optimal resistance of 100 kΩ is 10.4 μW at low operating frequency of 37 Hz, which is 10.9 times of output power of ZnO piezoelectric transducers. - Highlights: • Deposited zinc oxide performed good piezoelectric coefficient. • ZnO thin film with preferred orientation along the (002) plane was deposited. • A p–n type piezoelectric transducer with enhanced output power was fabricated. • 10.9 times increment in output power was obtained. • Increase of difference in Fermi level and p–n junction formation was explained

Half-metallic ferromagnetism in Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO from first principles study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.F.; Zhang, J.; Xu, B.; Yao, K.L.

2012-01-01

Electronic structures and magnetism of Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO have been investigated by the first-principle method based on density functional theory (DFT). The results show that Cu can induce stable ferromagnetic ground state. The magnetic moment of supercell including single Cu atom is 1.0 μ B . Electronic structure shows that Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO is a p-type half-metallic ferromagnet. The half-metal property is mainly attribute to the crystal field splitting of Cu 3d orbital, and the ferromagnetism is dominated by the hole-mediated double exchange mechanism. Therefore, Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO should be useful in semiconductor spintronics and other applications. - Highlights: → Magnetism of Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO. → Cu-doped zinc-blende ZnO shows interesting half-metal character. → Total energies calculations reveal that Cu can induce ferromagnetic ground state. → Ferromagnetism dominated by the hole-mediated double exchange mechanism.

Defect identification in semiconductors with positron annihilation: experiment and theory

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomisto, Filip

2015-03-01

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is a very powerful technique for the detection, identification and quantification of vacancy-type defects in semiconductors. In the past decades, it has been used to reveal the relationship between opto-electronic properties and specific defects in a wide variety of materials - examples include parasitic yellow luminescence in GaN, dominant acceptor defects in ZnO and broad-band absorption causing brown coloration in natural diamond. In typical binary compound semiconductors, the selective sensitivity of the technique is rather strongly limited to cation vacancies that possess significant open volume and suitable charge (negative of neutral). On the other hand, oxygen vacancies in oxide semiconductors are a widely debated topic. The properties attributed to oxygen vacancies include the inherent n-type conduction, poor p-type dopability, coloration (absorption), deep level luminescence and non-radiative recombination, while the only direct experimental evidence of their existence has been obtained on the crystal surface. We will present recent advances in combining state-of-the-art positron annihilation experiments and ab initio computational approaches. The latter can be used to model both the positron lifetime and the electron-positron momentum distribution - quantities that can be directly compared with experimental results. We have applied these methods to study vacancy-type defects in III-nitride semiconductors (GaN, AlN, InN) and oxides such as ZnO, SnO2, In2O3andGa2O3. We will show that cation-vacancy-related defects are important compensating centers in all these materials when they are n-type. In addition, we will show that anion (N, O) vacancies can be detected when they appear as complexes with cation vacancies.

Tuning the p-type Schottky barrier in 2D metal/semiconductor interface:boron-sheet on MoSe2, and WSe2

Science.gov (United States)

Couto, W. R. M.; Miwa, R. H.; Fazzio, A.

2017-10-01

Van der Waals (vdW) metal/semiconductor heterostructures have been investigated through first-principles calculations. We have considered the recently synthesized borophene (Mannix et al 2015 Science 350 1513), and the planar boron sheets (S1 and S2) (Feng et al 2016 Nat. Chem. 8 563) as the 2D metal layer, and the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) MoSe2, and WSe2 as the semiconductor monolayer. We find that the energetic stability of those 2D metal/semiconductor heterojunctions is mostly ruled by the vdW interactions; however, chemical interactions also take place in borophene/TMDC. The electronic charge transfer at the metal/semiconductor interface has been mapped, where we find a a net charge transfer from the TMDCs to the boron sheets. Further electronic structure calculations reveal that the metal/semiconductor interfaces, composed by planar boron sheets S1 and S2, present a p-type Schottky barrier which can be tuned to a p-type ohmic contact by an external electric field.

Hydrogen-related complexes in Li-diffused ZnO single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Corolewski, Caleb D.; Parmar, Narendra S.; Lynn, Kelvin G.; McCluskey, Matthew D.

2016-07-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor and a potential candidate for next generation white solid state lighting applications. In this work, hydrogen-related complexes in lithium diffused ZnO single crystals were studied. In addition to the well-known Li-OH complex, several other hydrogen defects were observed. When a mixture of Li2O and ZnO is used as the dopant source, zinc vacancies are suppressed and the bulk Li concentration is very high (>1019 cm-3). In that case, the predominant hydrogen complex has a vibrational frequency of 3677 cm-1, attributed to surface O-H species. When Li2CO3 is used, a structured blue luminescence band and O-H mode at 3327 cm-1 are observed at 10 K. These observations, along with positron annihilation measurements, suggest a zinc vacancy-hydrogen complex, with an acceptor level ˜0.3 eV above the valence-band maximum. This relatively shallow acceptor could be beneficial for p-type ZnO.

Hydrogen-related complexes in Li-diffused ZnO single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corolewski, Caleb D.; Parmar, Narendra S.; Lynn, Kelvin G.; McCluskey, Matthew D.

2016-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor and a potential candidate for next generation white solid state lighting applications. In this work, hydrogen-related complexes in lithium diffused ZnO single crystals were studied. In addition to the well-known Li-OH complex, several other hydrogen defects were observed. When a mixture of Li_2O and ZnO is used as the dopant source, zinc vacancies are suppressed and the bulk Li concentration is very high (>10"1"9" cm"−"3). In that case, the predominant hydrogen complex has a vibrational frequency of 3677 cm"−"1, attributed to surface O-H species. When Li_2CO_3 is used, a structured blue luminescence band and O-H mode at 3327 cm"−"1 are observed at 10 K. These observations, along with positron annihilation measurements, suggest a zinc vacancy–hydrogen complex, with an acceptor level ∼0.3 eV above the valence-band maximum. This relatively shallow acceptor could be beneficial for p-type ZnO.

n-Type organic semiconductors in organic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, John E; Facchetti, Antonio; Heeney, Martin; Marder, Seth R; Zhan, Xiaowei

2010-09-08

Organic semiconductors have been the subject of intensive academic and commercial interest over the past two decades, and successful commercial devices incorporating them are slowly beginning to enter the market. Much of the focus has been on the development of hole transporting, or p-type, semiconductors that have seen a dramatic rise in performance over the last decade. Much less attention has been devoted to electron transporting, or so called n-type, materials, and in this paper we focus upon recent developments in several classes of n-type materials and the design guidelines used to develop them.

Influence of nanostructure Fe-doped ZnO interlayer on the electrical properties of Au/n-type InP Schottky structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padma, R.; Balaram, N.; Reddy, I. Neelakanta; Reddy, V. Rajagopal, E-mail: reddy_vrg@rediffmail.com

2016-07-01

The Au/Fe-doped ZnO/n-InP metal/interlayer/semiconductor (MIS) Schottky structure is fabricated with Fe-doped ZnO nanostructure (NS) as an interlayer. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results demonstrated that the surface morphology of the Fe−ZnO NS on n-InP is fairly smooth. The x-ray diffraction results reveal that the average grain size of the Fe−ZnO film is 12.35 nm. The electrical properties of the Au/n-InP metal-semiconductor (MS) and Au/Fe−ZnO NS/n-InP MIS Schottky structures are investigated by current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements at room temperature. The Au/Fe−ZnO NS/n-InP MIS Schottky structure has good rectifying ratio with low-leakage current compared to the Au/n-InP MS structure. The barrier height obtained for the MIS structure is higher than those of MS Schottky structure because of the modification of the effective barrier height by the Fe−ZnO NS interlayer. Further, the barrier height, ideality factor and series resistance are determined for the MS and MIS Schottky structures using Norde and Cheung's functions and compared to each other. The estimated interface state density of MIS Schottky structure is lower than that of MS Schottky structure. Experimental results revealed that the Poole-Frenkel emission is the dominant conduction mechanism in the lower bias region whereas Schottky emission is the dominant in the higher bias region for both the Au/n-InP MS and Au/Fe−ZnO NS/n-InP MIS Schottky structures. - Highlights: • Barrier height of Au/n-InP Schottky diode was modified by Fe−ZnO nanostructure interlayer. • MIS structure has a good rectification ratio compared to the MS structure. • The interface state density of MIS structure is lower than that of MS structure. • Poole-Frenkel mechanism is found to dominate in both MS and MIS structure.

Aluminium doping induced enhancement of p-d coupling in ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cong, G W; Peng, W Q; Wei, H Y; Liu, X L; Wu, J J; Han, X X; Zhu, Q S; Wang, Z G; Ye, Z Z; Lu, J G; Zhu, L P; Qian, H J; Su, R; Hong, C H; Zhong, J; Ibrahim, K; Hu, T D

2006-01-01

Valence-band type Auger lines in Al doped and undoped ZnO were comparatively studied with the corresponding core level x-ray photoelectron spectrography (XPS) spectra as references. Then the shift trend of energy levels in the valence band was that p and p-s-d states move upwards but e and p-d states downwards with increasing Al concentration. The decreased energy of the Zn 3d state is larger than the increased energy of the O 2p state, indicating the lowering of total energy. This may indicate that Al doping could induce the enhancement of p-d coupling in ZnO, which originates from stronger Al-O hybridization. The shifts of these states and the mechanism were confirmed by valence band XPS spectra and O K-edge x-ray absorption spectrography (XAS) spectra. Finally, some previously reported phenomena are explained based on the Al doping induced enhancement of p-d coupling

Hydrogen-related complexes in Li-diffused ZnO single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corolewski, Caleb D. [Materials Science and Engineering Program, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814 (United States); Parmar, Narendra S.; Lynn, Kelvin G. [Center for Materials Research, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814 (United States); McCluskey, Matthew D., E-mail: mattmcc@wsu.edu [Materials Science and Engineering Program, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-2814 (United States)

2016-07-21

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor and a potential candidate for next generation white solid state lighting applications. In this work, hydrogen-related complexes in lithium diffused ZnO single crystals were studied. In addition to the well-known Li-OH complex, several other hydrogen defects were observed. When a mixture of Li{sub 2}O and ZnO is used as the dopant source, zinc vacancies are suppressed and the bulk Li concentration is very high (>10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3}). In that case, the predominant hydrogen complex has a vibrational frequency of 3677 cm{sup −1}, attributed to surface O-H species. When Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} is used, a structured blue luminescence band and O-H mode at 3327 cm{sup −1} are observed at 10 K. These observations, along with positron annihilation measurements, suggest a zinc vacancy–hydrogen complex, with an acceptor level ∼0.3 eV above the valence-band maximum. This relatively shallow acceptor could be beneficial for p-type ZnO.

Acceptor Type Vacancy Complexes In As-Grown ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubiaga, A.; Tuomisto, F.; Zuniga-Perez, J.

2010-01-01

One of the many technological areas that ZnO is interesting for is the construction of opto-electronic devices working in the blue-UV range as its large band gap (∼3.4 eV at 10 K) makes them suitable for that purpose. As-grown ZnO shows generally n-type conductivity partially due to the large concentration of unintentional shallow donors, like H, but impurities can also form complexes with acceptor type defects (Zn vacancy) leading to the creation of compensating defects. Recently, Li Zn and Na Zn acceptors have been measured and H could form similar type of defects. Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation spectroscopy experimental results on the observation of Zn related vacancy complexes in ZnO thin films, as-grown, O implanted and Al doped will be presented. Results show that as-grown ZnO film show small Zn vacancy related complexed that could be related to presence of H as a unintentional doping element.

Acceptor Type Vacancy Complexes In As-Grown ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Zubiaga, A.; Tuomisto, F.; Zuñiga-Pérez, J.

2010-11-01

One of the many technological areas that ZnO is interesting for is the construction of opto-electronic devices working in the blue-UV range as its large band gap (˜3.4 eV at 10 K) makes them suitable for that purpose. As-grown ZnO shows generally n-type conductivity partially due to the large concentration of unintentional shallow donors, like H, but impurities can also form complexes with acceptor type defects (Zn vacancy) leading to the creation of compensating defects. Recently, LiZn and NaZn acceptors have been measured and H could form similar type of defects. Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation spectroscopy experimental results on the observation of Zn related vacancy complexes in ZnO thin films, as-grown, O implanted and Al doped will be presented. Results show that as-grown ZnO film show small Zn vacancy related complexed that could be related to presence of H as a unintentional doping element.

Band Engineering Small Bandgap p-Type Semiconductors: Investigations of their Optical and Photoelectrochemical Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zoellner, Brandon

Mixed-metal oxides containing Mn(II), Cu(I), Ta(V), Nb(V), and V(V) were investigated for their structures and properties as new p-type semiconductors and in the potential applications involving the photocatalytic conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Engineering of the bandgaps was achieved by combining metal cations that have halffilled (Mn 3d5) or filled (Cu 3d10) d-orbitals together with metal cations that have empty (V/Nb/Ta 3/4/5 d0) d-orbitals. The research described herein focuses on the synthesis, optical, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of the metal-oxide semiconductors MnV2O6, Cu3VO 4, CuNb1-xTaxO3, and Cu5(Ta1-xNbx)11O30. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to probe their phase purity as well as atomic-level crystallographic details, i.e. shifts of lattice parameters, chemical compositions, and changes in local bonding environments. Optical measurements revealed visible-light bandgap sizes of ˜1.17 eV (Cu3VO4), ˜1.45 eV (MnV2O6), ˜1.89-1.97 eV (CuNb1-xTa xO3), and ˜1.97-2.50 eV (Cu5(Ta1-xNb x)11O30). The latter two were found to systematically vary as a function of composition. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements of MnV2O6 and Cu3VO 4 provided the first experimental characterization of the energetic positions of the valence and conduction bands with respect to the water oxidation and reduction potentials, as well as confirmed the p-type nature of each semiconductor. The valence and conduction band energies were found to be suitable for driving either one or both of the water-splitting half reaction (i.e. 2H+ → H2 and 2H2O → O2 + 4H+). Photoelectrochemical measurements on polycrystalline films of the Cu(I)-based semiconductors under visible-light irradiation produced cathodic currents indicative of p-type semiconductor character and chemical reduction at their surfaces in the electrolyte solution. The stability of the photocurrents was increased by the addition of CuO oxide particles either externally deposited or

Tuning magnetism by biaxial strain in native ZnO.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Chengxiao; Wang, Yuanxu; Cheng, Zhenxiang; Zhang, Guangbiao; Wang, Chao; Yang, Gui

2015-07-07

Magnetic ZnO, one of the most important diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS), has attracted great scientific interest because of its possible technological applications in optomagnetic devices. Magnetism in this material is usually delicately tuned by the doping level, dislocations, and local structures. The rational control of magnetism in ZnO is a highly attractive approach for practical applications. Here, the tuning effect of biaxial strain on the d(0) magnetism of native imperfect ZnO is demonstrated through first-principles calculations. Our calculation results show that strain conditions have little effect on the defect formation energy of Zn and O vacancies in ZnO, but they do affect the magnetism significantly. For a cation vacancy, increasing the compressive strain will obviously decrease its magnetic moment, while tensile strain cannot change the moment, which remains constant at 2 μB. For a singly charged anion vacancy, however, the dependence of the magnetic moment on strain is opposite to that of the Zn vacancy. Furthermore, the ferromagnetic state is always present, irrespective of the strain type, for ZnO with two zinc vacancies, 2VZns. A large tensile strain is favorable for improving the Curie temperature and realizing room temperature ferromagnetism for ZnO-based native semiconductors. For ZnO with two singly charged oxygen vacancies, 2Vs, no ferromagnetic ordering can be observed. Our work points the way to the rational design of materials beyond ZnO with novel non-intrinsic functionality by simply tuning the strain in a thin film form.

The Electrical Characteristics of The N-Organic Semiconductor/P-Inorganic Semiconductor Diode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aydin, M. E.

2008-01-01

n-organic semiconductor (PEDOT) / p-inorganic semiconductor Si diode was formed by deep coating method. The method has been achieved by coating n-inorganic semiconductor PEDOT on top of p-inorganic semiconductor. The n-organic semiconductor PEDOT/ p-inorganic semiconductor diode demonstrated rectifying behavior by the current-voltage (I-V) curves studied at room temperature. The barrier height , ideality factor values were obtained as of 0.88 eV and 1.95 respectively. The diode showed non-ideal I-V behavior with an ideality factor greater than unity that could be ascribed to the interfacial layer

Comprehensive study of the p-type conductivity formation in radio frequency magnetron sputtered arsenic-doped ZnO film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Yang, B.; Fung, S.; Beling, C. D.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Grambole, D.; Skorupa, W.; Wong, K. S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Xie, Z.; Ling, C. C.

2011-01-01

Arsenic doped ZnO and ZnMgO films were deposited on SiO 2 using radio frequency magnetron sputtering and ZnO-Zn 3 As 2 and ZnO-Zn 3 As 2 -MgO targets, respectively. It was found that thermal activation is required to activate the formation of p-type conductivity. Hall measurements showed that p-type films with a hole concentration of ∼10 17 cm -3 and mobility of ∼8 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were obtained at substrate temperatures of 400-500 deg. C The shallow acceptor formation mechanism was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, positron annihilation, low temperature photoluminescence, and nuclear reaction analysis. The authors suggest that the thermal annealing activates the formation of the As Zn -2V Zn shallow acceptor complex and removes the compensating hydrogen center.

Three-dimensional mesoscale heterostructures of ZnO nanowire arrays epitaxially grown on CuGaO2 nanoplates as individual diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Forticaux, Audrey; Hacialioglu, Salih; DeGrave, John P; Dziedzic, Rafal; Jin, Song

2013-09-24

We report a three-dimensional (3D) mesoscale heterostructure composed of one-dimensional (1D) nanowire (NW) arrays epitaxially grown on two-dimensional (2D) nanoplates. Specifically, three facile syntheses are developed to assemble vertical ZnO NWs on CuGaO2 (CGO) nanoplates in mild aqueous solution conditions. The key to the successful 3D mesoscale integration is the preferential nucleation and heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO NWs on the CGO nanoplates. Using transmission electron microscopy, heteroepitaxy was found between the basal planes of CGO nanoplates and ZnO NWs, which are their respective (001) crystallographic planes, by the observation of a hexagonal Moiré fringes pattern resulting from the slight mismatch between the c planes of ZnO and CGO. Careful analysis shows that this pattern can be described by a hexagonal supercell with a lattice parameter of almost exactly 11 and 12 times the a lattice constants for ZnO and CGO, respectively. The electrical properties of the individual CGO-ZnO mesoscale heterostructures were measured using a current-sensing atomic force microscopy setup to confirm the rectifying p-n diode behavior expected from the band alignment of p-type CGO and n-type ZnO wide band gap semiconductors. These 3D mesoscale heterostructures represent a new motif in nanoassembly for the integration of nanomaterials into functional devices with potential applications in electronics, photonics, and energy.

GGA+U investigations of impurity d-electrons effects on the electronic and magnetic properties of ZnO

KAUST Repository

Ul Haq, Bakhtiar

2014-08-01

Stimulation of novel features in ZnO by impurity electrons has attracted a remarkable attention of researchers from the past decade. Consequently, ZnO has found several applications in the field of spintronics and optoelectronics. We report, the effect of 3d-(V, Ag) electrons on the properties of ZnO in stable wurtzite (WZ) and metastable zincblende (ZB) phase using the density functional theory. Introduction of V-3d electrons was found to induce a high magnetic moment value of 5.22 in WZ and 3.26 in the ZB phase, and moreover transform the semiconductor character of ZnO into a metallic nature. Ag-d electrons result in the p-type half-metallic nature of ZnO with a weak ferromagnetic background. Our calculations for ground-state magnetic ordering show that ZnO in the presence of impure 3d-(V, Ag) electrons favors ferromagnetic ordering, and obey the double exchange mechanism. However, impurity atoms have very marginal effect on the lattice parameters of ZnO, thereby exposing its potential to absorb the impurity atoms in high concentration. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inverse spin Hall effect induced by spin pumping into semiconducting ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung-Chuan [Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Huang, Leng-Wei [Graduate Institute of Applied Physics, National Chengchi University, Taipei 11605, Taiwan (China); Hung, Dung-Shing, E-mail: dshung@mail.mcu.edu.tw [Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Department of Information and Telecommunications Engineering, Ming Chuan University, Taipei 111, Taiwan (China); Chiang, Tung-Han [Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Huang, J. C. A., E-mail: jcahuang@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Liang, Jun-Zhi [Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Department of Physics, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei 242, Taiwan (China); Lee, Shang-Fan, E-mail: leesf@phys.sinica.edu.tw [Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Applied Physics, National Chengchi University, Taipei 11605, Taiwan (China)

2014-02-03

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) of n-type semiconductor ZnO thin films with weak spin-orbit coupling has been observed by utilizing the spin pumping method. In the ferromagnetic resonance condition, the spin pumping driven by the dynamical exchange interaction of a permalloy film injects a pure spin current into the adjacent ZnO layer. This spin current gives rise to a DC voltage through the ISHE in the ZnO layer, and the DC voltage is proportional to the microwave excitation power. The effect is sizeable even when the spin backflow is considered.

Inverse spin Hall effect induced by spin pumping into semiconducting ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung-Chuan; Huang, Leng-Wei; Hung, Dung-Shing; Chiang, Tung-Han; Huang, J. C. A.; Liang, Jun-Zhi; Lee, Shang-Fan

2014-01-01

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) of n-type semiconductor ZnO thin films with weak spin-orbit coupling has been observed by utilizing the spin pumping method. In the ferromagnetic resonance condition, the spin pumping driven by the dynamical exchange interaction of a permalloy film injects a pure spin current into the adjacent ZnO layer. This spin current gives rise to a DC voltage through the ISHE in the ZnO layer, and the DC voltage is proportional to the microwave excitation power. The effect is sizeable even when the spin backflow is considered

Synthesis and properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor ZnO doped with nickel ions by combustion reaction; Sintese e propriedades do semicondutor magnetico diluido ZnO dopado com ions de niquel por meio da reacao de combustao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morais, A.; Torquato, R.A.; Costa, A.C.F.M, E-mail: m.artur@hotmail.com.br [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais; Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais

2017-10-01

One of the greatest challenges for the development of the spintronics this creation of materials having semiconductivity and magnetism at above room temperatures, enabling the creation of devices with greater processing speeds. This work aims to synthesize by combustion reaction semiconductor ZnO doped with nickel ions at a concentration of 0.08 mol for applications such as diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS). The combustion reaction is quite simple and promising in obtaining single-phase materials at the nanoscale. The obtained powder was subjected to the characterizations of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The crystalline material exhibits ZnO crystalline structure and coercive field of 161,36 Oe, showing that the material exhibits the properties of an SMD. (author)

The structural, electronic and optical properties of Nd doped ZnO using first-principles calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jun-Qing; Zhang, Jian-Min; Chen, Guo-Xiang; Wu, Hua; Yang, Xu

2018-04-01

The density functional theory calculations using general gradient approximation (GGA) applying Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) as correlation functional have been systematically performed to research the formation energy, the electronic structures, band structures, total and partial DOS, and optical properties of Nd doping ZnO with the content from 6.25% to 12.5%. The formation energies are negative for both models, which show that two structures are energetically stable. Nd doping ZnO crystal is found to be a direct band gap semiconductor and Fermi level shifts upward into conduction band, which show the properties of n-type semiconductor. Band structures are more compact after Nd doping ZnO, implying that Nd doping induces the strong interaction between different atoms. Nd doping ZnO crystal presents occupied states at near Fermi level, which mainly comes from the Nd 4f orbital. The calculated optical properties imply that Nd doping causes a red-shift of absorption peaks, and enhances the absorption of the visible light.

Energy dependence evaluation of a ZnO detector for diagnostic X-ray beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valença, C.P.V.; Silveira, M.A.L.; Macedo, M.A.; Santos, M.A.

2015-01-01

In the last decades the international organizations of human health and radiation protection have recommended certain care for using X-ray as a diagnosis tool. The current concern is to avoid any type of radiological accident or overdose to the patient. This can be done assessing the parameters of the X-ray equipment and there are various types of detectors available for that: ionizing chamber, semiconductor devices, etc. These detectors must be calibrated so that they can be used for any energy range and such a procedure is correlated with what is called the energy dependence of the detector. In accordance with the stated requirements of IEC 61267, the standard radiation quality beams and irradiation conditions (RQRs) are the tools and techniques for calibrating diagnostic X-Ray instruments and detectors. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the behavior of the energy dependence of a detector fabricated from a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofilm. A Pantak industrial X-ray equipment was used to generate the RQR radiation quality beams and test three ZnO detector samples. A 6430 sub-femto-ammeter, Keithley, was used to bias the ZnO detector and simultaneously perform the output readings. The results showed that the ZnO device has some increase in its sensitivity to the ionizing radiation as the X-ray effective energy decreases unlike other types of semiconductor electronic devices typically used as an X-ray detector. We can be concluded that, after calibration, the ZnO device can be used as a diagnostic X-ray detector. (author)

Comprehensive study of the p-type conductivity formation in radio frequency magnetron sputtered arsenic-doped ZnO film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Yang, B.; Fung, S.; Beling, C. D.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Grambole, D.; Skorupa, W.; Wong, K. S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Xie, Z.; Ling, C. C. [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam (Hong Kong); Institut fuer Ionenstrahlphysik und Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Institut fuer Strahlenphysik, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Institut fuer Ionenstrahlphysik und Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 510119, D-01314, Dresden (Germany); Department of Physics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong); College of Physics and Microelectronic Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam (Hong Kong)

2011-05-15

Arsenic doped ZnO and ZnMgO films were deposited on SiO{sub 2} using radio frequency magnetron sputtering and ZnO-Zn{sub 3}As{sub 2} and ZnO-Zn{sub 3}As{sub 2}-MgO targets, respectively. It was found that thermal activation is required to activate the formation of p-type conductivity. Hall measurements showed that p-type films with a hole concentration of {approx}10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and mobility of {approx}8 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} were obtained at substrate temperatures of 400-500 deg. C The shallow acceptor formation mechanism was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, positron annihilation, low temperature photoluminescence, and nuclear reaction analysis. The authors suggest that the thermal annealing activates the formation of the As{sub Zn}-2V{sub Zn} shallow acceptor complex and removes the compensating hydrogen center.

Investigating the Implementation of ZnO Nanoparticles as a Tunable UV Detector for Different Skin Types

Science.gov (United States)

Mosayebi, Pegah; Dorranian, Davoud; Behzad, Kasra

A facile chemical reduction method was used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in ethylene glycol solvent at two different calcination temperatures. As a result of variation in the calcination temperature, ZnO NPs with two different sizes were achieved. The NPs were investigated for their structural and optical characteristics using X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet (UV)-Vis spectroscopy. The synthesized ZnO NPs exhibited a hexagonal structure with sizes of 46 and 65nm. The synthesized NPs were then used to investigate dye photocatalytic behavior of products as a tunable UV detector for different skin types. The dye degradation and decolorization of methylene blue in the presence of ZnO NP, following UV radiation as a function of time, were studied at different pH levels. The optical absorption spectra were then taken every 15min for all samples. The UV-Vis spectroscopy spectra revealed that optical absorption of solution was decreased upon UV exposure as a function of time. Photocatalytic reaction indicated that the dye degradation and decolorization rate were accelerated with the increase of pH level. Therefore, a tunable UV detector for different skin types could be engineered by varying the pH level of solution to avoid human skin burning.

P-type thin films transistors with solution-deposited lead sulfide films as semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrillo-Castillo, A.; Salas-Villasenor, A.; Mejia, I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Aguirre-Tostado, S. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S. C. Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, C.P. 666000 (Mexico); Gnade, B.E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Quevedo-Lopez, M.A., E-mail: mxq071000@utdallas.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States)

2012-01-31

In this paper we demonstrate p-type thin film transistors fabricated with lead sulfide (PbS) as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition methods. Crystallinity and morphology of the resulting PbS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Devices were fabricated using photolithographic processes in a bottom gate configuration with Au as source and drain top contacts. Field effect mobility for as-fabricated devices was {approx} 0.09 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} whereas the mobility for devices annealed at 150 Degree-Sign C/h in forming gas increased up to {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Besides the thermal annealing, the entire fabrications process was maintained below 100 Degree-Sign C. The electrical performance of the PbS-thin film transistors was studied before and after the 150 Degree-Sign C anneal as well as a function of the PbS active layer thicknesses. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thin film transistors with PbS as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photolithography-based thin film transistors with PbS films at low temperatures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron mobility for anneal-PbS devices of {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highest mobility reported in thin film transistors with PbS as the semiconductor.

A Density Functional Theory Study of Doped Tin Monoxide as a Transparent p-type Semiconductor

KAUST Repository

Bianchi Granato, Danilo

2012-05-01

In the pursuit of enhancing the electronic properties of transparent p-type semiconductors, this work uses density functional theory to study the effects of doping tin monoxide with nitrogen, antimony, yttrium and lanthanum. An overview of the theoretical concepts and a detailed description of the methods employed are given, including a discussion about the correction scheme for charged defects proposed by Freysoldt and others [Freysoldt 2009]. Analysis of the formation energies of the defects points out that nitrogen substitutes an oxygen atom and does not provide charge carriers. On the other hand, antimony, yttrium, and lanthanum substitute a tin atom and donate n-type carriers. Study of the band structure and density of states indicates that yttrium and lanthanum improves the hole mobility. Present results are in good agreement with available experimental works and help to improve the understanding on how to engineer transparent p-type materials with higher hole mobilities.

Mott-Schottky analysis of thin ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windisch, Charles F. Jr.; Exarhos, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

Thin ZnO films, both native and doped with secondary metal ions, have been prepared by sputter deposition and also by casting from solutions containing a range of precursor salts. The conductivity and infrared reflectivity of these films are subsequently enhanced chemically following treatment in H 2 gas at 400 degree sign C or by cathodic electrochemical treatment in a neutral (pH=7) phosphate buffer solution. While Hall-type measurements usually are used to evaluate the electrical properties of such films, the present study investigated whether a conventional Mott-Schottky analysis could be used to monitor the change in concentration of free carriers in these films before and after chemical and electrochemical reduction. The Mott-Schottky approach would be particularly appropriate for electrochemically modified films since the measurements could be made in the same electrolyte used for the post-deposition electrochemical processing. Results of studies on sputtered pure ZnO films in ferricyanide solution were promising. Mott-Schottky plots were linear and gave free carrier concentrations typical for undoped semiconductors. Film thicknesses estimated from the Mott-Schottky data were also reasonably close to thicknesses calculated from reflectance measurements. Studies on solution-deposited films were less successful. Mott-Schottky plots were nonlinear, apparently due to film porosity. A combination of dc polarization and atomic force microscopy measurements confirmed this conclusion. The results suggest that Mott-Schottky analysis would be suitable for characterizing solution-deposited ZnO films only after extensive modeling was performed to incorporate the effects of film porosity on the characteristics of the space-charge region of the semiconductor. (c) 2000 American Vacuum Society

Defect-driven interfacial electronic structures at an organic/metal-oxide semiconductor heterojunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Winget, Paul; Schirra, Laura K; Cornil, David; Li, Hong; Coropceanu, Veaceslav; Ndione, Paul F; Sigdel, Ajaya K; Ginley, David S; Berry, Joseph J; Shim, Jaewon; Kim, Hyungchui; Kippelen, Bernard; Brédas, Jean-Luc; Monti, Oliver L A

2014-07-16

The electronic structure of the hybrid interface between ZnO and the prototypical organic semiconductor PTCDI is investigated via a combination of ultraviolet and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS/XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The interfacial electronic interactions lead to a large interface dipole due to substantial charge transfer from ZnO to 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylicdiimide (PTCDI), which can be properly described only when accounting for surface defects that confer ZnO its n-type properties. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The ZnO p-n homojunctions modulated by ZnMgO barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jing-Jing; Fang, Qing-Qing; Wang, Dan-Dan; Du, Wen-Han

2015-01-01

In this paper, we fabricated the ultrathin ZnO p-n homojunctions, which modulated by ZnMgO asymmetrical double barriers (ADB). The ADB p-n homojunctions displays step-like curve in the absorption spectrums, this is the first time that quantum confinement effect has been observed in the absorption spectrums at room temperature (RT). The Hall-effect data confirm there is 2-dimensional electron gas in the interface of the ZnMgO ADB p-n junctions. The quantum confinement effect enhances the hall-mobility μ to 10 3 cm 2 V −1 s −1 based on the polarity of the films. There was no rectification property in the ZnO homojunctions with thickness of 250nm, however, when the ADB was added in the n-type layer of the homojunctions, it displays a typical Zener diode rectification property in the I-V curve

Ambipolar organic heterojunction transistors with various p-type semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jianwu; Wang Haibo; Song De; Tian Hongkun; Geng Yanhou; Yan Donghang

2008-01-01

Ambipolar transport has been realized in organic heterojunction transistors with metal phthalocyanines, phenanthrene-based conjugated oligomers as the first semiconductors and copper-hexadecafluoro-phthalocyanine as the second semiconductor. The electron and hole mobilities of ambipolar devices with rod-like molecules were comparable to the corresponding single component devices, while the carrier mobility of ambipolar devices with disk-like molecules was much lower than the corresponding single component devices. The much difference of their device performance was attributed to the roughness of the first semiconductor films, which was original from their distinct growth habits. The flat and continuous films for the first semiconductors layer can lead to a smooth heterojunction interface, and obtained a high device performance for ambipolar organic heterojunction transistors

Supplymentary type semiconductor device and manufacturing method. Soho gata handotai sochi oyobi sono seizo hoho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uno, Masaaki

1990-01-08

As a supplementary type semiconductor device has a complicated structure, it is extremely difficult to construct it in a three dimensional structure. This invention aims to reduce its occupying area by forming p-channel and n-channel transistors in a solid structure; moreover in an easy method of production. In other words, an opening is made in the element-forming region of a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate-insulation film on each of the p-type and n-type semiconductors which are exposed on the two facing surfaces; on it formed a gate electrode; p-type semiconductor surface is used as a channel domain; a drain region of n-channel transistor on one surface and a source region on another surface; the n-type semiconductor surface corresponding to the gate electrode is used as a channel region; a source region of the n-channel transistor is formed on the same surface and the drain region on the substrate surface. Occupied area is thus made less and the production gets easier. 20 figs.

Sims Characterisation of ZnO Layer Prepared By Pulsed Laser Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej Vincze

2005-01-01

Full Text Available New material development requires new technologies to create and prepare basic material for semiconductor industry and device applications. Materials have given properties, which exhibit particulary small tolerances. One of the most important and promising material is recently ZnO. ZnO has specific properties for near UV emission and absorption optical devices. The pulsed laser deposition (PLD is one of the methods to prepare this type of material. The aim of this paper is to compare properties of ZnO layers deposited from pure Zn target in oxygen atmosphere and the analysis of their surface properties by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS, atomic force microscopy (AFM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM.

Oxygen vacancies: The origin of n -type conductivity in ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lishu; Mei, Zengxia; Tang, Aihua; Azarov, Alexander; Kuznetsov, Andrej; Xue, Qi-Kun; Du, Xiaolong

2016-06-01

Oxygen vacancy (VO) is a common native point defect that plays crucial roles in determining the physical and chemical properties of metal oxides such as ZnO. However, fundamental understanding of VO is still very sparse. Specifically, whether VO is mainly responsible for the n -type conductivity in ZnO has been still unsettled in the past 50 years. Here, we report on a study of oxygen self-diffusion by conceiving and growing oxygen-isotope ZnO heterostructures with delicately controlled chemical potential and Fermi level. The diffusion process is found to be predominantly mediated by VO. We further demonstrate that, in contrast to the general belief of their neutral attribute, the oxygen vacancies in ZnO are actually +2 charged and thus responsible for the unintentional n -type conductivity as well as the nonstoichiometry of ZnO. The methodology can be extended to study oxygen-related point defects and their energetics in other technologically important oxide materials.

A treatise on first-principles studies of ZnO as diluted magnetic semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nayak, Sanjeev Kumar

2012-04-24

simulations to estimate the critical temperature. A case study for Co doped ZnO is discussed, where we have calculated the magnetic phase diagram of the system. Apart from this, supercell calculations with Vienna ab-initio simulation package (VASP) have been done to compare the role of various treatment to the E{sub xc}. In case of GGA+U, the U is separately treated on Zn d-orbitals and TM d-orbitals, and then together. From the total energy differences in magnetic states, it is observed that with incorporation of U, all the TM favor antiferromagnetic interactions. Similar conclusion is also reached for most cases in HSE and HSE+U approach. One of the recent topics under discussion for polar semiconductor materials like ZnO is d{sup 0} magnetism. In present study based on GGA it is shown that Zn-vacancy (V{sub Zn}) and C substitution on O site (C{sub O}) lead to spin-polarized solution. The magnetic energy is mostly below the room-temperature. Related to this, some perspectives of experimental situations which could lead to quenching of such magnetization is also presented. Furthermore, studies on pure ZnO clusters based on GGA and HSE functionals are presented. A general tendency which is observed is that the bond length predicted in HSE calculations are larger than those predicted by GGA. Characteristic arrangement of magnetization density in V{sub Zn} and C{sub O} in clusters as calculated from GGA is presented.

The influence of material type and composition of TiO2- ZnO on manufacturing of paste for the application of DSSC

Science.gov (United States)

Retnaningsih, L.; Muliani, L.; Aggraini, P. N.; Hidayat, J.

2016-11-01

Research, fabrication and material selection for the application of Dye- sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been performed on glass FTO (Flour Tin Oxide). The material is used in the form of TiO2 paste, TiO2 powder and ZnO powder. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), is a fotoelektrokimia-based solar cells where the absorption process light done by the dye molecules and the process of separation of inorganic semiconductor materials by charge of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and Zinc oxide (ZnO). The purpose of this research is to know the exact composition of TiO2 and ZnO materials in order to produce the best efficiency with DSSC. On this research was done making prototype dye-sensitized solar cell using dye Z 907, and semiconductor nanoparticles TiO2 and ZnO powder that is made into a paste by mixing different composition in two variations of samples: A = ZnO (powder) + 40% TiO2 (powder) and B = 60% TiO2 (powder) (40%) + TiO2 (pasta) 60%. The second variation of this high efficiency is value at sample B i.e. TiO2 (powder) + 40% TiO2 (paste) of 60%.

The influence of material type and composition of TiO2- ZnO on manufacturing of paste for the application of DSSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Retnaningsih, L.; Muliani, L.; Aggraini, P. N.; Hidayat, J.

2016-01-01

Research, fabrication and material selection for the application of Dye- sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been performed on glass FTO (Flour Tin Oxide). The material is used in the form of TiO 2 paste, TiO 2 powder and ZnO powder. Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), is a fotoelektrokimia-based solar cells where the absorption process light done by the dye molecules and the process of separation of inorganic semiconductor materials by charge of Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and Zinc oxide (ZnO). The purpose of this research is to know the exact composition of TiO 2 and ZnO materials in order to produce the best efficiency with DSSC. On this research was done making prototype dye-sensitized solar cell using dye Z 907, and semiconductor nanoparticles TiO 2 and ZnO powder that is made into a paste by mixing different composition in two variations of samples: A = ZnO (powder) + 40% TiO 2 (powder) and B = 60% TiO 2 (powder) (40%) + TiO 2 (pasta) 60%. The second variation of this high efficiency is value at sample B i.e. TiO 2 (powder) + 40% TiO 2 (paste) of 60%. (paper)

Characteristics of TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film towards pH sensitivity prepared by different spin coating deposition process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, Rohanieza Abdul; Zulkefle, Muhammad Al Hadi; Abdullah, Wan Fazlida Hanim; Rusop, M.; Herman, Sukreen Hana

2016-01-01

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO_2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) bilayer film for pH sensing application will be presented. TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film with different speed of spin-coating process was deposited on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), prepared by sol-gel method. This fabricated bilayer film was used as sensing membrane for Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) for pH sensing application. Experimental results indicated that the sensor is able to detect the sensitivity towards pH buffer solution. In order to obtained the result, sensitivity measurement was done by using the EGFET setup equipment with constant-current (100 µA) and constant-voltage (0.3 V) biasing interfacing circuit. TiO_2/ZnO bilayer film which the working electrode, act as the pH-sensitive membrane was connected to a commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET then was connected to the interfacing circuit. The sensitivity of the TiO2 thin film towards pH buffer solution was measured by dipping the sensing membrane in pH4, pH7 and pH10 buffer solution. These thin films were characterized by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to obtain the surface morphology of the composite bilayer films. In addition, I-V measurement was done in order to determine the electrical properties of the bilayer films. According to the result obtained in this experiment, bilayer film that spin at 4000 rpm, gave highest sensitivity which is 52.1 mV/pH. Relating the I-V characteristic of the thin films and sensitivity, the sensing membrane with higher conductivity gave better sensitivity.

Enhancement of ZnO nanorod arrays-based inverted type hybrid organic solar cell using spin-coated Eosin-Y

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Eng Liang; Yap, Chi Chin; Yahaya, Muhammad; Salleh, Muhamad Mat

2013-01-01

This paper reports the effect of Eosin-Y coating concentration on the performance of inverted type hybrid organic solar cell based on ZnO nanorod arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT). The Eosin-Y solution with concentrations of 0.05, 0.2, 2.0 and 5.0 mM was spin-coated onto the ZnO nanorod arrays grown on the fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate. The P3HT film was then spin-coated onto Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorod arrays, followed by deposition of silver (Ag) as anode using magnetron sputtering technique. The short circuit current density increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration up to 0.2 mM, after which it started to decrease, mainly due to the aggregation of Eosin-Y which reduced the charge extraction from P3HT to ZnO. Meanwhile, the open circuit voltage increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration, indicating reduced back charge recombination of electron on the ZnO and hole on the P3HT, as well as reduced leakage current through the direct contact between the ZnO nanorods and the Ag metal contact. The power conversion efficiency of the device with the optimum coating concentration was approximately eight times higher than that without Eosin-Y modification. (paper)

Enhancement of ZnO nanorod arrays-based inverted type hybrid organic solar cell using spin-coated Eosin-Y

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Eng Liang; Yap, Chi Chin; Yahaya, Muhammad; Mat Salleh, Muhamad

2013-04-01

This paper reports the effect of Eosin-Y coating concentration on the performance of inverted type hybrid organic solar cell based on ZnO nanorod arrays and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT). The Eosin-Y solution with concentrations of 0.05, 0.2, 2.0 and 5.0 mM was spin-coated onto the ZnO nanorod arrays grown on the fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate. The P3HT film was then spin-coated onto Eosin-Y-coated ZnO nanorod arrays, followed by deposition of silver (Ag) as anode using magnetron sputtering technique. The short circuit current density increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration up to 0.2 mM, after which it started to decrease, mainly due to the aggregation of Eosin-Y which reduced the charge extraction from P3HT to ZnO. Meanwhile, the open circuit voltage increased with the Eosin-Y coating concentration, indicating reduced back charge recombination of electron on the ZnO and hole on the P3HT, as well as reduced leakage current through the direct contact between the ZnO nanorods and the Ag metal contact. The power conversion efficiency of the device with the optimum coating concentration was approximately eight times higher than that without Eosin-Y modification.

Mechanisms of current flow in metal-semiconductor ohmic contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blank, T. V.; Gol'dberg, Yu. A.

2007-01-01

Published data on the properties of metal-semiconductor ohmic contacts and mechanisms of current flow in these contacts (thermionic emission, field emission, thermal-field emission, and also current flow through metal shunts) are reviewed. Theoretical dependences of the resistance of an ohmic contact on temperature and the charge-carrier concentration in a semiconductor were compared with experimental data on ohmic contacts to II-VI semiconductors (ZnSe, ZnO), III-V semiconductors (GaN, AlN, InN, GaAs, GaP, InP), Group IV semiconductors (SiC, diamond), and alloys of these semiconductors. In ohmic contacts based on lightly doped semiconductors, the main mechanism of current flow is thermionic emission with the metal-semiconductor potential barrier height equal to 0.1-0.2 eV. In ohmic contacts based on heavily doped semiconductors, the current flow is effected owing to the field emission, while the metal-semiconductor potential barrier height is equal to 0.3-0.5 eV. In alloyed In contacts to GaP and GaN, a mechanism of current flow that is not characteristic of Schottky diodes (current flow through metal shunts formed by deposition of metal atoms onto dislocations or other imperfections in semiconductors) is observed

Fabrication of a P3HT-ZnO Nanowires Gas Sensor Detecting Ammonia Gas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chin-Guo Kuo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, an organic-inorganic semiconductor gas sensor was fabricated to detect ammonia gas. An inorganic semiconductor was a zinc oxide (ZnO nanowire array produced by atomic layer deposition (ALD while an organic material was a p-type semiconductor, poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT. P3HT was suitable for the gas sensing application due to its high hole mobility, good stability, and good electrical conductivity. In this work, P3HT was coated on the zinc oxide nanowires by the spin coating to form an organic-inorganic heterogeneous interface of the gas sensor for detecting ammonia gas. The thicknesses of the P3HT were around 462 nm, 397 nm, and 277 nm when the speeds of the spin coating were 4000 rpm, 5000 rpm, and 6000 rpm, respectively. The electrical properties and sensing characteristics of the gas sensing device at room temperature were evaluated by Hall effect measurement and the sensitivity of detecting ammonia gas. The results of Hall effect measurement for the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor with 462 nm P3HT film showed that the carrier concentration and the mobility were 2.7 × 1019 cm−3 and 24.7 cm2∙V−1∙s−1 respectively. The gas sensing device prepared by the P3HT-ZnO nanowires semiconductor had better sensitivity than the device composed of the ZnO film and P3HT film. Additionally, this gas sensing device could reach a maximum sensitivity around 11.58 per ppm.

Effect of Ga doping and point defect on magnetism of ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Qingyu [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, 010051 Hohhot (China); Zhao, Chunwang, E-mail: cwzhao@shmtu.edu.cn [College of Arts and Sciences, Shanghai Maritime University, 201306 Shanghai (China); Jia, Xiaofang; Qu, Lingfeng [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, 010051 Hohhot (China)

2017-02-01

The combined influence mechanism of Ga doping and Zn vacancy or O vacancy on magnetism of ZnO is studied using the first-principle calculation. The coexistence of Ga doping and Zn vacancy can achieve a Curie temperature higher than room temperature and the Ga doped ZnO system is a p-type diluted degenerate semiconductor with metalized ferromagnetism. The magnetism of the doping system of Ga doping and Zn vacancy is mainly contributed by double-exchange interaction through the holes of Zn vacancy taking carrier as medium. However, the system of Ga doping and O vacancy is non-magnetic. In the coexistence of Ga doping and Zn vacancy or O vacancy, a close relative distance between doping and vacancy will reduce the formation energy of the doping system but increase the easiness of doping and vacancy, as well as enhance the stability of the doping system.

Acceptor-modulated optical enhancements and band-gap narrowing in ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Ali; Jin, Yuhua; Irfan, Muhammad; Jiang, Yijian

2018-03-01

Fermi-Dirac distribution for doped semiconductors and Burstein-Moss effect have been correlated first time to figure out the conductivity type of ZnO. Hall Effect in the Van der Pauw configuration has been applied to reconcile our theoretical estimations which evince our assumption. Band-gap narrowing has been found in all p-type samples, whereas blue Burstein-Moss shift has been recorded in the n-type films. Atomic Force Microscopic (AFM) analysis shows that both p-type and n-type films have almost same granular-like structure with minor change in average grain size (˜ 6 nm to 10 nm) and surface roughness rms value 3 nm for thickness ˜315 nm which points that grain size and surface roughness did not play any significant role in order to modulate the conductivity type of ZnO. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) have been employed to perform the structural, chemical and elemental analysis. Hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in all samples. The introduction of nitrogen reduces the crystallinity of host lattice. 97% transmittance in the visible range with 1.4 × 107 Ω-1cm-1 optical conductivity have been detected. High absorption value in the ultra-violet (UV) region reveals that NZOs thin films can be used to fabricate next-generation high-performance UV detectors.

Acceptor-modulated optical enhancements and band-gap narrowing in ZnO thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Hassan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Fermi-Dirac distribution for doped semiconductors and Burstein-Moss effect have been correlated first time to figure out the conductivity type of ZnO. Hall Effect in the Van der Pauw configuration has been applied to reconcile our theoretical estimations which evince our assumption. Band-gap narrowing has been found in all p-type samples, whereas blue Burstein-Moss shift has been recorded in the n-type films. Atomic Force Microscopic (AFM analysis shows that both p-type and n-type films have almost same granular-like structure with minor change in average grain size (∼ 6 nm to 10 nm and surface roughness rms value 3 nm for thickness ∼315 nm which points that grain size and surface roughness did not play any significant role in order to modulate the conductivity type of ZnO. X-ray diffraction (XRD, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS have been employed to perform the structural, chemical and elemental analysis. Hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in all samples. The introduction of nitrogen reduces the crystallinity of host lattice. 97% transmittance in the visible range with 1.4 × 107 Ω-1cm-1 optical conductivity have been detected. High absorption value in the ultra-violet (UV region reveals that NZOs thin films can be used to fabricate next-generation high-performance UV detectors.

Impurity sublattice localization in ZnO revealed by li marker diffusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Azarov, A.Yu.; Knutsen, K.E.; Neuvonen, P.T.

2013-01-01

Sublattice localization of impurities in compound semiconductors, e.g., ZnO, determines their electronic and optical action. Despite that the impurity position may be envisaged based on charge considerations, the actual localization is often unknown, limiting our understanding of the incorporation...... and possible doping mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that the preferential sublattice occupation for a number of impurities in ZnO can be revealed by monitoring Li diffusion. In particular, using ion implantation, the impurity incorporation into the Zn sublattice (holds for, B, Mg, P, Ag, Cd, and Sb...

EDITORIAL: Focus on Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors FOCUS ON DILUTE MAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTORS

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Scott A.; Gallagher, Bryan

2008-05-01

papers, the authors have not carried out the necessary control experiments and materials characterization to convincingly eliminate these possibilities. The former includes the growth of films without the magnetic dopant and the associated demonstration of the absence of ferromagnetism. Magnetic secondary phase formation is particularly problematic because in order to inject enough magnetic dopant to generate appreciable magnetization and spin polarization, one must often exceed the solid solubility of the dopant in the host. If the dopant is itself ferromagnetic in its elemental state, or if unintended magnetic products nucleate, spurious ferromagnetism will occur. Moreover, it is often a major analysis challenge to detect secondary phases when they consist of only a few per cent of the dopant; element specific spectroscopies such as x-ray absorption have been invaluable in this task. Powder diffraction is not sufficiently sensitive for this level of analysis. Against this backdrop, this focus issue of New Journal of Physics now appears. The editors' principal goal in soliciting papers has been to encourage investigators to submit work in which the necessary experiments have been done to allow the material to be adequately characterized. This collection contains a mix of experimental and theoretical papers, and many different types of materials are covered. This focus issue thus constitutes a snapshot in time of a fast-moving and fascinating field of materials physics. Reference [1] Dietl T, Ohno H, Matsukura F, Cibert J and Ferrand D 2000 Science 287 1019 Focus on Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors Contents Lithographically and electrically controlled strain effects on anisotropic magnetoresistance in (Ga,Mn)As E De Ranieri, A W Rushforth, K Výborný, U Rana, E Ahmad, R P Campion, C T Foxon, B L Gallagher, A C Irvine, J Wunderlich and T Jungwirth Structure and magnetism of cobalt-doped ZnO thin films M Ivill, S J Pearton, S Rawal, L Leu, P Sadik, R Das, A F Hebard, M

Efficient light emission from inorganic and organic semiconductor hybrid structures by energy-level tuning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlesinger, R; Bianchi, F; Blumstengel, S; Christodoulou, C; Ovsyannikov, R; Kobin, B; Moudgil, K; Barlow, S; Hecht, S; Marder, S R; Henneberger, F; Koch, N

2015-04-15

The fundamental limits of inorganic semiconductors for light emitting applications, such as holographic displays, biomedical imaging and ultrafast data processing and communication, might be overcome by hybridization with their organic counterparts, which feature enhanced frequency response and colour range. Innovative hybrid inorganic/organic structures exploit efficient electrical injection and high excitation density of inorganic semiconductors and subsequent energy transfer to the organic semiconductor, provided that the radiative emission yield is high. An inherent obstacle to that end is the unfavourable energy level offset at hybrid inorganic/organic structures, which rather facilitates charge transfer that quenches light emission. Here, we introduce a technologically relevant method to optimize the hybrid structure's energy levels, here comprising ZnO and a tailored ladder-type oligophenylene. The ZnO work function is substantially lowered with an organometallic donor monolayer, aligning the frontier levels of the inorganic and organic semiconductors. This increases the hybrid structure's radiative emission yield sevenfold, validating the relevance of our approach.

Efficient light emission from inorganic and organic semiconductor hybrid structures by energy-level tuning

Science.gov (United States)

Schlesinger, R.; Bianchi, F.; Blumstengel, S.; Christodoulou, C.; Ovsyannikov, R.; Kobin, B.; Moudgil, K.; Barlow, S.; Hecht, S.; Marder, S.R.; Henneberger, F.; Koch, N.

2015-01-01

The fundamental limits of inorganic semiconductors for light emitting applications, such as holographic displays, biomedical imaging and ultrafast data processing and communication, might be overcome by hybridization with their organic counterparts, which feature enhanced frequency response and colour range. Innovative hybrid inorganic/organic structures exploit efficient electrical injection and high excitation density of inorganic semiconductors and subsequent energy transfer to the organic semiconductor, provided that the radiative emission yield is high. An inherent obstacle to that end is the unfavourable energy level offset at hybrid inorganic/organic structures, which rather facilitates charge transfer that quenches light emission. Here, we introduce a technologically relevant method to optimize the hybrid structure's energy levels, here comprising ZnO and a tailored ladder-type oligophenylene. The ZnO work function is substantially lowered with an organometallic donor monolayer, aligning the frontier levels of the inorganic and organic semiconductors. This increases the hybrid structure's radiative emission yield sevenfold, validating the relevance of our approach. PMID:25872919

Ohmic metallization technology for wide band-gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliadis, A.A.; Vispute, R.D.; Venkatesan, T.; Jones, K.A.

2002-01-01

Ohmic contact metallizations on p-type 6H-SiC and n-type ZnO using a novel approach of focused ion beam (FIB) surface-modification and direct-write metal deposition will be reviewed, and the properties of such focused ion beam assisted non-annealed contacts will be reported. The process uses a Ga focused ion beam to modify the surface of the semiconductor with different doses, and then introduces an organometallic compound in the Ga ion beam, to effect the direct-write deposition of a metal on the modified surface. Contact resistance measurements by the transmission line method produced values in the low 10 -4 Ω cm 2 range for surface-modified and direct-write Pt and W non-annealed contacts, and mid 10 -5 Ω cm 2 range for surface-modified and pulse laser deposited TiN contacts. An optimum Ga surface-modification dosage window is determined, within which the current transport mechanism of these contacts was found to proceed mainly by tunneling through the metal-modified-semiconductor interface layer

Characteristics of TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film towards pH sensitivity prepared by different spin coating deposition process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahman, Rohanieza Abdul, E-mail: rohanieza.abdrahman@gmail.com; Zulkefle, Muhammad Al Hadi, E-mail: alhadizulkefle@gmail.com [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Abdullah, Wan Fazlida Hanim, E-mail: wanfaz@salam.uitm.edu.my [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Rusop, M., E-mail: rusop@salam.uitm.com [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-Science Technology Centre (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Herman, Sukreen Hana, E-mail: hana1617@salam.uitm.edu.my [NANO-Electronic Centre, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); CoRe of Frontier Materials & Industry Applications, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-07-06

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) and zinc oxide (ZnO) bilayer film for pH sensing application will be presented. TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film with different speed of spin-coating process was deposited on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), prepared by sol-gel method. This fabricated bilayer film was used as sensing membrane for Extended Gate Field-Effect Transistor (EGFET) for pH sensing application. Experimental results indicated that the sensor is able to detect the sensitivity towards pH buffer solution. In order to obtained the result, sensitivity measurement was done by using the EGFET setup equipment with constant-current (100 µA) and constant-voltage (0.3 V) biasing interfacing circuit. TiO{sub 2}/ZnO bilayer film which the working electrode, act as the pH-sensitive membrane was connected to a commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET then was connected to the interfacing circuit. The sensitivity of the TiO2 thin film towards pH buffer solution was measured by dipping the sensing membrane in pH4, pH7 and pH10 buffer solution. These thin films were characterized by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to obtain the surface morphology of the composite bilayer films. In addition, I-V measurement was done in order to determine the electrical properties of the bilayer films. According to the result obtained in this experiment, bilayer film that spin at 4000 rpm, gave highest sensitivity which is 52.1 mV/pH. Relating the I-V characteristic of the thin films and sensitivity, the sensing membrane with higher conductivity gave better sensitivity.

Determination of reactive oxygen species from ZnO micro-nano structures with shape-dependent photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Weiwei; Zhao, Hongxiao; Jia, Huimin [Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, Xuchang University, Henan 461000 (China); Yin, Jun-Jie [Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740 (United States); Zheng, Zhi, E-mail: zhengzhi99999@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province, Institute of Surface Micro and Nano Materials, Xuchang University, Henan 461000 (China)

2014-05-01

Graphical abstract: ZnO micro/nano structures with shape dependent photocatalytic activity were prepared by hydrothermal reaction. The generations of hydroxyl radical, superoxide and singlet oxygen from irradiated ZnO were identified precisely by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The type of reactive oxygen species was determined by band gap structure of ZnO. - Highlights: • ZnO micro/nano structures with different morphologies were prepared by solvothermal reaction. • Multi-pod like ZnO structures exhibited superior photocatalytic activity. • The generations of hydroxyl radical, superoxide and singlet oxygen from irradiated ZnO were characterized precisely by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. • The type of reactive oxygen species was determined by band gap structure of ZnO. - Abstract: ZnO micro/nano structures with different morphologies have been prepared by the changing solvents used during their synthesis by solvothermal reaction. Three typical shapes of ZnO structures including hexagonal, bell bottom like and multi-pod formed and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Multi pod like ZnO structures exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity toward degradation of methyl orange. Using electron spin resonance spectroscopy coupled with spin trapping techniques, we demonstrate an effective way to identify precisely the generation of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide and singlet oxygen from the irradiated ZnO multi pod structures. The type of reactive oxygen species formed was predictable from the band gap structure of ZnO. These results indicate that the shape of micro-nano structures significantly affects the photocatalytic activity of ZnO, and demonstrate the value of electron spin resonance spectroscopy for characterizing the type of reactive oxygen species formed during photoexcitation of semiconductors.

Determination of reactive oxygen species from ZnO micro-nano structures with shape-dependent photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Weiwei; Zhao, Hongxiao; Jia, Huimin; Yin, Jun-Jie; Zheng, Zhi

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: ZnO micro/nano structures with shape dependent photocatalytic activity were prepared by hydrothermal reaction. The generations of hydroxyl radical, superoxide and singlet oxygen from irradiated ZnO were identified precisely by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The type of reactive oxygen species was determined by band gap structure of ZnO. - Highlights: • ZnO micro/nano structures with different morphologies were prepared by solvothermal reaction. • Multi-pod like ZnO structures exhibited superior photocatalytic activity. • The generations of hydroxyl radical, superoxide and singlet oxygen from irradiated ZnO were characterized precisely by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. • The type of reactive oxygen species was determined by band gap structure of ZnO. - Abstract: ZnO micro/nano structures with different morphologies have been prepared by the changing solvents used during their synthesis by solvothermal reaction. Three typical shapes of ZnO structures including hexagonal, bell bottom like and multi-pod formed and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Multi pod like ZnO structures exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity toward degradation of methyl orange. Using electron spin resonance spectroscopy coupled with spin trapping techniques, we demonstrate an effective way to identify precisely the generation of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide and singlet oxygen from the irradiated ZnO multi pod structures. The type of reactive oxygen species formed was predictable from the band gap structure of ZnO. These results indicate that the shape of micro-nano structures significantly affects the photocatalytic activity of ZnO, and demonstrate the value of electron spin resonance spectroscopy for characterizing the type of reactive oxygen species formed during photoexcitation of semiconductors

Thermal process induced change of conductivity in As-doped ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Su, S. C.; Fan, J. C.; Ling, C. C.

2012-02-01

Arsenic-doped ZnO films were fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method with different substrate temperature TS. Growing with the low substrate temperature of TS=200°C yielded n-type semi-insulating sample. Increasing the substrate temperature would yield p-type ZnO film and reproducible p-type film could be produced at TS~450°C. Post-growth annealing of the n-type As-doped ZnO sample grown at the low substrate temperature (TS=200°C) in air at 500°C also converted the film to p-type conductivity. Further increasing the post-growth annealing temperature would convert the p-type sample back to n-type. With the results obtained from the studies of positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), photoluminescence (PL), cathodoluminescence (CL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), we have proposed mechanisms to explain for the thermal process induced conduction type conversion as observed in the As-doped ZnO films.

MOVPE growth and characterisation of ZnO properties for optoelectronic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oleynik, N.

2007-03-07

In this work a new Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) method was developed for the growth and doping of high-quality ZnO films. ZnO is a unique optoelectronic material for the effective light generation in the green to the UV spectral range. Optoelectronic applications of ZnO require impurity-free monocrystalline films with smooth surfaces and low concentration of the defects in the crystal lattice. At the beginning of this work only few reports on MOVPE growth of polycrystalline ZnO existed. The low quality of ZnO is attributed to the lack of an epitaxially matched substrate, and gas-phase prereactions between the Zn- and O-precursors. To achieve control over the ZnO quality, several O-precursors were tested for the growth on GaN/Si(111) or GaN/Sapphire substrates at different reactor temperatures and pressures. ZnO layers with XRD rocking curve FWHMs of the (0002) reflection of 180'' and narrow cathodoluminescence of 1.3 meV of the dominant I{sub 8} emission were synthesized using a two-step growth procedure. In this procedure, ZnO is homoepitaxially grown at high temperature using N{sub 2}O as O-precursor on a low temperature grown ZnO buffer layer using tertiary-butanol as O-precursor. p-Type doping of ZnO, which usually exhibits n-type behaviour, is very difficult. This doping asymmetry represents an issue for ZnO-based devices. Beginning from 1992, a growing number of reports have been claiming a fabrication of p-type ZnO, but, due to the missing reproducibilty, they are still questionable. Native defects, non-stoichiometry, and hydrogen are sources of n-type conductivity of ZnO. Together with a low solubility of the potential p-type dopants and deep position of impurity levels, these factors partly explain p-type doping difficulties in ZnO. However, there is no fully described mechanism of the ZnO doping asymmetry yet. In this work, NH{sub 3}, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMHy), diisobutylamine, and NO nitrogen precursors were studied

Admittance spectroscopy of spray-pyrolyzed ZnO film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavasoglu, Nese; Kavasoglu, A. Sertap

2008-01-01

A ZnO film was deposited using the spray pyrolysis method. The admittance spectroscopy method was used to establish the contributions to electrical behavior from grains, grain boundaries, and electrodes of film. Proper equivalent electrical circuit of a ZnO film composed of a single parallel resistor, capacitor, and inductor network connected with a series resistance was proposed. Moreover, we displayed metal-semiconductor transition (MST) in the ZnO film via admittance spectroscopy

Development of n-type polymer semiconductors for organic field-effect transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jongwan; Kim, Nakjoong; Song, Heeseok; Kim, Felix Sunjoo

2015-01-01

We review herein the development of unipolar n-type polymer semiconductors in organic field-effect transistors, which would enable large-scale deployment of printed electronics in combination with a fast-growing area of p-type counterparts. After discussing general features of electron transport in organic semiconductors, various π-conjugated polymers that are capable of transporting electrons are selected and summarized to outline the design principles for enhancing electron mobility and stability in air. The n-type polymer semiconductors with high electron mobility and good stability in air share common features of low-lying frontier molecular orbital energy levels achieved by design. In this review, materials are listed in roughly chronological order of the appearance of the key building blocks, such as various arylene diimides, or structural characteristics, including nitrile and fluorinated groups, in order to present the progress in the area of n-type polymers. (paper)

Electrochemical preparation of vertically aligned, hollow CdSe nanotubes and their p-n junction hybrids with electrodeposited Cu2O.

Science.gov (United States)

Debgupta, Joyashish; Devarapalli, Ramireddy; Rahman, Shakeelur; Shelke, Manjusha V; Pillai, Vijayamohanan K

2014-08-07

Vertically aligned, hollow nanotubes of CdSe are grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates by ZnO nanowire template-assisted electrodeposition technique, followed by selective removal of the ZnO core using NH4OH. A detailed mechanism of nucleation and anisotropic growth kinetics of nanotubes have been studied by a combination of characterization tools such as chronoamperometry, SEM and TEM. Interestingly, "as grown" CdSe nanotubes (CdSe NTs) on FTO coated glass plates behave as n-type semiconductors exhibiting an excellent photo-response (with a generated photocurrent density value of ∼ 470 μA cm(-2)) while in contact with p-type Cu2O (p-type semiconductor, grown separately on FTO plates) because of the formation of a n-p heterojunction (type II). The observed photoresponse is 3 times higher than that of a similar device prepared with electrodeposited CdSe films (not nanotubes) and Cu2O on FTO. This has been attributed to the hollow 1-D nature of CdSe NTs, which provides enhanced inner and outer surface areas for better absorption of light and also assists faster transport of photogenerated charge carriers.

Characterization of ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrate elaborated by solgel spin-coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chebil, W., E-mail: Chbil.widad@live.fr [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Fouzri, A. [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Sousse, Université de Sousse (Tunisia); Fargi, A. [Laboratoire de Microélectronique et Instrumentation, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Azeza, B.; Zaaboub, Z. [Laboratoire Micro-Optoélectroniques et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l' environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); and others

2015-10-15

Highlights: • High quality ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrates were successful obtained by sol–gel process. • PL measurement revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has the better optical quality. • I–V characteristics for all heterojunctions exhibit successful diode formation. • The diode ZnO/PSi shows a better photovoltaic effect under illumination with a maximum {sub Voc} of 0.2 V. - Abstract: In this study, ZnO thin films are deposited by sol–gel technique on p-type crystalline silicon (Si) with [100] orientation, etched silicon and porous silicon. The structural analyses showed that the obtained thin films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented along the c-axis direction. Morphological study revealed the presence of rounded and facetted grains irregularly distributed on the surface of all samples. PL spectra at room temperature revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has a strong UV emission with low defects in the visible region comparing with ZnO grown on plat Si and etched Si surface. The heterojunction parameters were evaluated from the (I–V) under dark and illumination at room temperature. The ideality factor, barrier height and series resistance of heterojunction grown on different p-Si substrates are determined by using different methods. Best electrical properties are obtained for ZnO layer deposited on porous silicon.

Flexible substrate based 2D ZnO (n)/graphene (p) rectifying junction as enhanced broadband photodetector using strain modulation

Science.gov (United States)

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Jones, S. Solomon; Thanga Gomathi, P.; Badhulika, Sushmee

2017-06-01

Strain modulation is considered to be an effective way to modulate the electronic structure and carrier behavior in flexible semiconductors heterojunctions. In this work, 2D Graphene (Gr)/ZnO junction was successfully fabricated on flexible eraser substrate using simple, low-cost solution processed hydrothermal method and has been utilized for broadband photodetection in the UV to visible range at room temperature. Optimization in terms of process parameters were done to obtain 2D ZnO over 2D graphene which shows decrease in bandgap and broad absorption range from UV to visible. Under compressive strain piezopotential induced by the atoms displacements in 2D ZnO, 87% enhanced photosensing for UV light was observed under 30% strain. This excellent performance improvement can be attributed to piezopotential induced under compressive strain in 2D ZnO which results in lowering of conduction band energy and raising the schottky barrier height thereby facilitating electron-hole pair separation in 2D Gr/ZnO junction. Detailed mechanism studies in terms of density of surface states and energy band diagram is presented to understand the proposed phenomena. Results provide an excellent approach for improving the optoelectronic performance of 2D Gr/ZnO interface which can also be applied to similar semiconductor heterojunctions.

Research Update: Doping ZnO and TiO2 for solar cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert L. Z. Hoye

2013-12-01

Full Text Available ZnO and TiO2 are two of the most commonly used n-type metal oxide semiconductors in new generation solar cells due to their abundance, low-cost, and stability. ZnO and TiO2 can be used as active layers, photoanodes, buffer layers, transparent conducting oxides, hole-blocking layers, and intermediate layers. Doping is essential to tailor the materials properties for each application. The dopants used and their impact in solar cells are reviewed. In addition, the advantages, disadvantages, and commercial potential of the various fabrication methods of these oxides are presented.

Effect of indium on photovoltaic property of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction device prepared using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire film

Science.gov (United States)

Kathalingam, Adaikalam; Kim, Hyun-Seok; Park, Hyung-Moo; Valanarasu, Santiyagu; Mahalingam, Thaiyan

2015-01-01

Preparation of n-ZnO/p-Si heterostructures using solution-synthesized ZnO nanowire films and their photovoltaic characterization is reported. The solution-grown ZnO nanowire film is characterized using scanning electron microscope, electron dispersive x-ray, and optical absorption studies. Electrical and photovoltaic properties of the fabricated heterostructures are studied using e-beam-evaporated aluminum as metal contacts. In order to use transparent contact and to simultaneously collect the photogenerated carriers, sandwich-type solar cells were fabricated using ZnO nanorod films grown on p-silicon and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass as ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si. The electrical properties of these structures are analyzed from current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. ZnO nanowire film thickness-dependent photovoltaic properties are also studied. Indium metal was also deposited over the ZnO nanowires and its effects on the photovoltaic response of the devices were studied. The results demonstrated that all the samples exhibit a strong rectifying behavior indicating the diode nature of the devices. The sandwich-type ITO/n-ZnO NR/p-Si solar cells exhibit improved photovoltaic performance over the Al-metal-coated n-ZnO/p-Si structures. The indium deposition is found to show enhancement in photovoltaic behavior with a maximum open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.3 V and short-circuit current (Isc) of 70×10-6 A under ultraviolet light excitation.

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O; Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S

2008-01-01

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process

Performance improvement for solution-processed high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Chensha; Loutfy, Rafik O [Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7 (Canada); Li Yuning; Wu Yiliang; Ong, Beng S [Materials Design and Integration Laboratory, Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2L1 (Canada)], E-mail: lichnsa@163.com

2008-06-21

The fabrication technology of stable, non-toxic, transparent, high performance zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film semiconductors via the solution process was investigated. Two methods, which were, respectively, annealing a spin-coated precursor solution and annealing a drop-coated precursor solution, were compared. The prepared ZnO thin-film semiconductor transistors have well-controlled, preferential crystal orientation and exhibit superior field-effect performance characteristics. But the ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated by annealing a drop-coated precursor solution has a distinctly elevated linear mobility, which further approaches the saturated mobility, compared with that fabricated by annealing a spin-coated precursor solution. The performance of the solution-processed ZnO TFT was further improved when substituting the spin-coating process by the drop-coating process.

Photo-driven autonomous hydrogen generation system based on hierarchically shelled ZnO nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Heejin; Yong, Kijung

2013-01-01

A quantum dot semiconductor sensitized hierarchically shelled one-dimensional ZnO nanostructure has been applied as a quasi-artificial leaf for hydrogen generation. The optimized ZnO nanostructure consists of one dimensional nanowire as a core and two-dimensional nanosheet on the nanowire surface. Furthermore, the quantum dot semiconductors deposited on the ZnO nanostructures provide visible light harvesting properties. To realize the artificial leaf, we applied the ZnO based nanostructure as a photoelectrode with non-wired Z-scheme system. The demonstrated un-assisted photoelectrochemical system showed the hydrogen generation properties under 1 sun condition irradiation. In addition, the quantum dot modified photoelectrode showed 2 mA/cm 2 current density at the un-assisted condition

A dual-colored bio-marker made of doped ZnO nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Y L; Zeng, X T [Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 71 Nanyang Drive, 638075 (Singapore); Fu, S; Kwek, L C [National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637616 (Singapore); Tok, A I Y; Boey, F C Y [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore); Lim, C S [School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore)

2008-08-27

Bio-compatible ZnO nanocrystals doped with Co, Cu and Ni cations, surface capped with two types of aminosilanes and titania are synthesized by a soft chemical process. Due to the small particle size (2-5 nm), surface functional groups and the high photoluminescence emissions at the UV and blue-violet wavelength ranges, bio-imaging on human osteosarcoma (Mg-63) cells and histiocytic lymphoma U-937 monocyte cells showed blue emission at the nucleus and bright turquoise emission at the cytoplasm simultaneously. This is the first report on dual-color bio-images labeled by one semiconductor nanocrystal colloidal solution. Bright green emission was detected on mung bean seedlings labeled by all the synthesized ZnO nanocrystals. Cytotoxicity tests showed that the aminosilanes capped nanoparticles are non-toxic. Quantum yields of the nanocrystals varied from 79% to 95%. The results showed the potential of the pure ZnO and Co-doped ZnO nanocrystals for live imaging of both human cells and plant systems.

Exploring excitonic signal in optical conductivity of ZnO through first-order electron-hole vertex correction

Science.gov (United States)

Khoirunnisa, Humaira; Aziz Majidi, Muhammad

2018-04-01

The emergence of exitonic signal in the optical response of a wide band-gap semiconductor has been a common knowledge in physics. There have been numerous experimental studies exploring the important role of excitons on influencing both the transport and optical properties of the materials. Despite the existence of much information on excitonic effects, there has not been much literature that explores detailed theoretical explanation on how the exitonic signal appears and how it evolves with temperature. Here, we propose a theoretical study on the optical conductivity of ZnO, a well-known wide band-gap semiconductor that we choose as a case study. ZnO has been known to exhibit excitonic states in its optical spectra in the energy range of ∼3.13-3.41 eV, with a high exciton binding energy of ∼60 meV. An experimental study on ZnO in 2014 revealed such a signal in its optical conductivity spectrum. We present a theoretical investigation on the appearance of excitonic signal in optical conductivity of ZnO. We model the wurtzite ZnO within an 8-band k.p approximation. We calculate the optical conductivity by incorporating the first-order vertex correction derived from the Feynman diagrams. Our calculation up to the first-order correction spectrum qualitatively confirms the existence of excitons in wurtzite ZnO.

The structural, electrical and optical properties of Mg-doped ZnO with different interstitial Mg concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Yonghong, E-mail: hchyh@njust.edu.cn [School of Nuclear Technology and Chemistry & Biology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437100 (China); Institute of Optoelectronics & Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Zeng, Haibo [Institute of Optoelectronics & Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Du, Jifu [School of Nuclear Technology and Chemistry & Biology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437100 (China); Hu, Ziyu [Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhang, Shengli [Institute of Optoelectronics & Nanomaterials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China)

2016-10-01

Through first principle calculations, we studied the structural, electronic and optical properties of ZnO doped by interstitial Mg. With the increase of Mg content (x), the derivations of lattice parameters from the wurtzite ZnO become more and more significant. The Mg-doped ZnO with x below 15.79% is found to be n-type semiconductor. The minimum of energy band gap and light transmittance in high energy region (7.5–25 eV) decrease while the conductivity and refractive index increase with increasing x. Further increasing x up to 20%, the Mg-doped ZnO is found to be direct-band-gap semiconductor with great structural derivation from wurtzite phase. The light transmittance increases while the refractive index decreases with the increase of x due to the change of geometry and electronic structure. So, it’s concluded that the electronic and optical properties of ZnO doped by interstitial Mg may be greatly influenced by Mg content. - Graphical abstract: The minimum of energy gap decreases while the corresponding relative number of electrons into the conduction bands increases when the interstitial Mg content x in Mg-doped ZnO increases (0 ≤ x ≤ 15.79%). - Highlights: • The energy band gap decreases with the increase of interstitial Mg content from 5.88% to 15.79%. • The conductivity increases with the increase of interstitial Mg content from 5.88% to 15.79%. • The Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O (interstitial Mg content x= 20%) is found to be a direct-band-gap semiconductor. • The light transmittance decreases with the increase of interstitial Mg content from 5.88% to 15.79%. • The refractive index increases with the increase of interstitial Mg content from 5.88% to 15.79%.

Lattice location of the group V elements Sb, As, and P in ZnO

CERN Document Server

Wahl, Ulrich; Mendonça, Tânia; Decoster, Stefan

2010-01-01

Modifying the properties of ZnO by means of incorporating antimony, arsenic or phosphorus impurities is of interest since these group V elements have been reported in the literature among the few successful p-type dopants in this technologically promising II-VI compound. The lattice location of ion-implanted Sb, As, and P in ZnO single crystals was investigated by means of the electron emission channeling technique using the radioactive isotopes $^{124}$Sb, $^{73}$As and $^{33}$P and it is found that they preferentially occupy substitutional Zn sites while the possible fractions on substitutional O sites are a few percent at maximum. The lattice site preference is understandable from the relatively large ionic size of the heavy mass group V elements. Unfortunately the presented results cannot finally settle the interesting issue whether substitutional Sb, As or P on oxygen sites or Sb$_{Zn}$−2V$_{Zn}$, As$_{Zn}$−2V$_{Zn}$ or P$_{Zn}$−2V$_{Zn}$ complexes (as suggested in the literature) are responsible f...

Crystallinity improvement of ZnO nanorods by optimization of low-cost electrodeposition technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Özdal, Teoman, E-mail: teomanozdal@hotmail.com; Taktakoğlu, Renna; Özdamar, Havva; Esen, Mehmet; Takçı, Deniz Kadir; Kavak, Hamide

2015-10-01

Extremely low-cost electrodeposition technique was developed to deposit ZnO nanorods. The growth process was performed using standard DC power supply, milliammeter and two-electrode electrochemical cell. The deposition was carried out on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by changing deposition parameters such as cathodic deposition current and time, solution molarity and temperature. The parameters varied to obtain optimum transparent semiconductor material for optoelectronic applications. Structural characterizations by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicate the formation of polycrystalline phase ZnO with strong c-axis orientation and were sensitive to deposition temperatures and molarity as well. Average optical transmittance for the best two ZnO nanorod series was around 60% and 42%, respectively. The optical energy band gap of the ZnO nanorods decreased from 3.24 eV to 3.21 eV as the deposition time increased. All the nanorods were n-type with a high carrier concentration of 1 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} and low 1–2 × 10{sup −3} Ωcm resistivity. - Highlights: • n-Type ZnO nanorods were electrochemically deposited employing standard DC power supply and milliammeter. • ZnO nanorods show very good polycrystalline and electrical properties consistent with the literature. • ZnO nanorod structures are hexagonal wurtzite and highly oriented along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrates. • Produced ZnO nanorod structures show good transparent conductive oxide properties.

Black Phosphorus-Zinc Oxide Nanomaterial Heterojunction for p-n Diode and Junction Field-Effect Transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Pyo Jin; Lee, Young Tack; Lim, June Yeong; Kim, Jin Sung; Hwang, Do Kyung; Im, Seongil

2016-02-10

Black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet is two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor with distinct band gap and attracting recent attention from researches because it has some similarity to gapless 2D semiconductor graphene in the following two aspects: single element (P) for its composition and quite high mobilities depending on its fabrication conditions. Apart from several electronic applications reported with BP nanosheet, here we report for the first time BP nanosheet-ZnO nanowire 2D-1D heterojunction applications for p-n diodes and BP-gated junction field effect transistors (JFETs) with n-ZnO channel on glass. For these nanodevices, we take advantages of the mechanical flexibility of p-type conducting of BP and van der Waals junction interface between BP and ZnO. As a result, our BP-ZnO nanodimension p-n diode displays a high ON/OFF ratio of ∼10(4) in static rectification and shows kilohertz dynamic rectification as well while ZnO nanowire channel JFET operations are nicely demonstrated by BP gate switching in both electrostatics and kilohertz dynamics.

Growth of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods using textured ZnO films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meléndrez Manuel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract A hydrothermal method to grow vertical-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays on ZnO films obtained by atomic layer deposition (ALD is presented. The growth of ZnO nanorods is studied as function of the crystallographic orientation of the ZnO films deposited on silicon (100 substrates. Different thicknesses of ZnO films around 40 to 180 nm were obtained and characterized before carrying out the growth process by hydrothermal methods. A textured ZnO layer with preferential direction in the normal c-axes is formed on substrates by the decomposition of diethylzinc to provide nucleation sites for vertical nanorod growth. Crystallographic orientation of the ZnO nanorods and ZnO-ALD films was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Composition, morphologies, length, size, and diameter of the nanorods were studied using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersed x-ray spectroscopy analyses. In this work, it is demonstrated that crystallinity of the ZnO-ALD films plays an important role in the vertical-aligned ZnO nanorod growth. The nanorod arrays synthesized in solution had a diameter, length, density, and orientation desirable for a potential application as photosensitive materials in the manufacture of semiconductor-polymer solar cells. PACS 61.46.Hk, Nanocrystals; 61.46.Km, Structure of nanowires and nanorods; 81.07.Gf, Nanowires; 81.15.Gh, Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced CVD, MOCVD, ALD, etc.

Transition metal implanted ZnO. A correlation between structure and magnetism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Shengqiang

2008-07-01

Nowadays ferromagnetism is often found in potential diluted magnetic semiconductor systems. However, many authors question the origin of this ferromagnetism, i.e. if the observed ferromagnetism stems from ferromagnetic precipitates rather than from carriermediated magnetic coupling of ionic impurities, as required for a diluted magnetic semiconductor. In this thesis, this question will be answered for transition-metal implanted ZnO single crystals. Magnetic secondary phases, namely metallic Fe, Co and Ni nanocrystals, are formed inside ZnO. They are - although difficult to detect by common approaches of structural analysis - responsible for the observed ferromagnetism. Particularly Co and Ni nanocrystals are crystallographically oriented with respect to the ZnO matrix. Their structure phase transformation and corresponding evolution of magnetic properties upon annealing have been established. Finally, an approach, pre-annealing ZnO crystals at high temperature before implantation, has been demonstrated to sufficiently suppress the formation of metallic secondary phases. (orig.)

Substrate type < 111 >-Cu{sub 2}O/<0001 >-ZnO photovoltaic device prepared by photo-assisted electrodeposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zamzuri, Mohd, E-mail: zamzuri@tf.me.tut.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Eng., Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibari Gaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); School of Manufacturing Eng., Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kampus Tetap Pauh Putra, Jln Arau-Changlun, 02600 Arau, Perlis (Malaysia); Sasano, Junji [Department of Mechanical Eng., Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibari Gaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan); Mohamad, Fariza Binti [Faculty of Electrical & Electronic Eng., University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor (Malaysia); Izaki, Masanobu [Department of Mechanical Eng., Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibari Gaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580 (Japan)

2015-11-30

The substrate-type < 0001 > ZnO/<111 > Cu{sub 2}O photovoltaic (PV) device has been constructed by electrodeposition of a < 111 >-p-Cu{sub 2}O layer on an Au(111)/Si wafer substrate followed by stacking the n-ZnO layer by electrodeposition during light irradiation in aqueous solutions. The PV device was fabricated by stacking the Al:ZnO-window by sputtering and the top Al electrode by vacuum evaporation. The < 0001 >-ZnO layer was composed of aggregates of hexagonal columnar grains grown in the direction normal to the surface, and pores could be observed between the ZnO grains at the deposition time last 1800 s. The < 0001 >-ZnO/<111 >-Cu{sub 2}O PV device showed a photovoltaic performance under AM1.5 illumination, and showed the improved short-circuit current density of 5.87 mA cm{sup −2} by stacking the AZO-TCO due to the increase in the diffusion length of the carrier. - Highlights: • Substrate type ZnO/Cu{sub 2}O photovoltaic devices only by electrodeposition • ZnO layer was stacked on the Cu{sub 2}O layer by photo-assisted electrodeposition. • AZO/ZnO/Cu{sub 2}O photovoltaic devices with a short-circuit current density of 5.87 mA cm{sup −2}.

P-type Oxide Semiconductors for Transparent & Energy Efficient Electronics

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhenwei

2018-01-01

, the performance of p-type counterparts is lag behind. However, after years of discovery, several p-type TSOs are confirmed with promising performance, for example, tin monoxide (SnO). By using p-type SnO, excellent transistor field-effect mobility of 6.7 cm2 V-1 s

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of NiO-Decorated ZnO Nanowhiskers for Methylene Blue Degradation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Abdul Rahman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanowhiskers were used for photodecomposition of methylene blue in aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The rate of methylene blue degradation increased linearly with time of UV irradiation. 54% of degradation rate was observed when the ZnO nanowhiskers were used as photocatalysts for methylene blue degradation for 80 min under UV irradiation. The decoration of p-type NiO nanoparticles on n-type ZnO nanowhiskers significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity and reached 72% degradation rate of methylene blue by using the same method. NiO-decorated ZnO was recycled for second test and shows 66% degradation from maximal peak of methylene blue within the same period. The increment of photocatalytic activity of NiO-decorated ZnO nanowhiskers was explained by the extension of the electron depletion layer due to the formation of nanoscale p-n junctions between p-type NiO and n-type ZnO. Hence, these products provide new alternative proficient photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.

Comparison on electrically pumped random laser actions of hydrothermal and sputtered ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Canxing; Jiang, Haotian; Li, Yunpeng; Ma, Xiangyang; Yang, Deren

2013-01-01

Random lasing (RL) in polycrystalline ZnO films is an intriguing research subject. Here, we have comparatively investigated electrically pumped RL behaviors of two metal-insulator-semiconductor structured devices using the hydrothermal and sputtered ZnO films as the semiconductor components, i.e., the light-emitting layers, respectively. It is demonstrated that the device using the hydrothermal ZnO film exhibits smaller threshold current and larger output optical power of the electrically pumped RL. The morphological characterization shows that the hydrothermal ZnO film is somewhat porous and is much rougher than the sputtered one, suggesting that in the former stronger multiple light scattering can occur. Moreover, the photoluminescence characterization indicates that there are fewer defects in the hydrothermal ZnO film than in the sputtered one, which means that the photons can pick up larger optical gain through stimulated emission in the hydrothermal ZnO film. Therefore, it is believed that the stronger multiple light scattering and larger optical gain contribute to the improved performance of the electrically pumped RL from the device using the hydrothermal ZnO film

2,6-Bis(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl-3,7-dipentadecyltetrathienoacene (DBT-TTAR2 as an Alternative of Highly Soluble p-type Organic Semiconductor for Organic Thin Film Transistor (OTFT Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mery B. Supriadi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A new compound of organic semiconductor based on tetrathienoacene (TTA derivatives, DBT-TTAR2 was synthesized and characterized. The corporation of dibenzo[b,d]thiophene (DBT group and alkyl substituent in both ends of TTA core have a significant effect on their π-π molecular conjugation length, energy gaps value and solubility properties. DBT-TTAR2 is fabricated as p-type organic semiconductor of organic thin film transistor (OTFT by solution process at Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan. A good optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of DBT-TTAR2 showed that its exhibits a better performance as highly soluble p-type organic semiconductor.

Insulated InP (100) semiconductor by nano nucleus generation in pure water

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorab, Farzaneh; Es'haghi, Zarrin

2018-01-01

Preparation of specified designs on optoelectronic devices such as Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Laser Diodes (LDs) by using insulated thin films is very important. InP as one of those semiconductors which is used as optoelectronic devices, have two different kinds of charge carriers as n-InP and p-InP in the microelectronic industry. The surface preparation of this kind of semiconductor can be accomplished with individually chemical, mechanical, chemo - mechanical and electrochemical methods. But electrochemical method can be suitably replaced instead of the other methods, like CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), because of the simplicity. In this way, electrochemically formation of insulated thin films by nano nucleus generation on semiconductor (using constant current density of 0.07 mA /cm2) studied in this research. Insulated nano nucleus generation and their growth up to thin film formation on semiconductor single crystal (100), n-InP, inpure water (0.08 µs/cm,25°c) characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Four-point probe and Styloprofilometer techniques. The SEM images show active and passive regions on the n-InP surface and not uniform area on p-InP surface by passing through the passive condition. So the passive regions were nonuniform, and only the active regions were uniform and clean. The various semiconducting behavior in electrochemical condition, studied and compared with structural specification of InP type group (III-V).

Comparison of modification strategies towards enhanced charge carrier separation and photocatalytic degradation activity of metal oxide semiconductors (TiO{sub 2}, WO{sub 3} and ZnO)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, S. Girish [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012 Karnataka (India); Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering and Technology, CMR University, Bengaluru, 562149, Karnataka (India); Rao, K.S.R. Koteswara, E-mail: raoksrk@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012 Karnataka (India)

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Semiconductor metal oxides: Modifications, charge carrier dynamics and photocatalysis. - Highlights: • TiO{sub 2}, WO{sub 3} and ZnO based photocatalysis is reviewed. • Advances to improve the efficiency are emphasized. • Differences and similarities in the modifications are highlighted. • Charge carrier dynamics for each strategy are discussed. - Abstract: Metal oxide semiconductors (TiO{sub 2}, WO{sub 3} and ZnO) finds unparalleled opportunity in wastewater purification under UV/visible light, largely encouraged by their divergent admirable features like stability, non-toxicity, ease of preparation, suitable band edge positions and facile generation of active oxygen species in the aqueous medium. However, the perennial failings of these photocatalysts emanates from the stumbling blocks like rapid charge carrier recombination and meager visible light response. In this review, tailoring the surface-bulk electronic structure through the calibrated and veritable approaches such as impurity doping, deposition with noble metals, sensitizing with other compounds (dyes, polymers, inorganic complexes and simple chelating ligands), hydrogenation process (annealing under hydrogen atmosphere), electronic integration with other semiconductors, modifying with carbon nanostructures, designing with exposed facets and tailoring with hierarchical morphologies to overcome their critical drawbacks are summarized. Taking into account the materials intrinsic properties, the pros and cons together with similarities and striking differences for each strategy in specific to TiO{sub 2}, WO{sub 3} & ZnO are highlighted. These subtlety enunciates the primacy for improving the structure-electronic properties of metal oxides and credence to its fore in the practical applications. Future research must focus on comparing the performances of ZnO, TiO{sub 2} and WO{sub 3} in parallel to get insight into their photocatalytic behaviors. Such comparisons not only reveal

The effect of Gd doping on the electrical and photoelectrical properties of Gd:ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baturay, Silan [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir (Turkey); Ocak, Yusuf Selim, E-mail: yusufselim@gmail.com [Department of Science, Faculty of Education, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir (Turkey); Science and Technology Application and Research Center, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir (Turkey); Kaya, Derya [Department of Physics, Institute of Natural Applied Sciences, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir (Turkey)

2015-10-05

Highlights: • Undoped and Gd doped ZnO thin films were deposited onto p-Si semiconductor. • The Gd:ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions were compared with undoped ZnO/p-Si heterojunction. • A strong effect of Gd doping on the performance of the devices were reported. - Abstract: Undoped ZnO thin films, as well as 1%, 3% and 5% Gd-doped ZnO films, were deposited on p-type Si using spin coating. The structural properties of these thin films were analysed using X-ray diffraction, and the current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics of the Gd:ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions were compared with those of the undoped ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions. We found that Gd doping had a strong effect on the performance of the devices, and that the Gd:ZnO/p-Si heterojunctions formed with 1% Gd-doped ZnO were the most strongly rectifying, and had the highest barrier height and the lowest series resistance. Furthermore, the I–V measurements of the 1% Gd-doped ZnO/p-Si heterojunction exhibited the strongest response to light.

Towards p-type ZnO using post-growth annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dangbegnon, J.K.; Roro, K.T.; Botha, J.R. [Department of Physics, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa)

2008-01-15

The optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on GaAs substrate are investigated. Samples were annealed in two different ambients, namely nitrogen and oxygen, and studied by photoluminescence (PL). Samples annealed in oxygen at 600 C show arsenic acceptor-related signatures. The near-band-edge emission is dominated by an excitonic feature at 3.355 eV and compensation broadens the spectra. No such changes are observed when similar samples are annealed in nitrogen. The diffusion of arsenic from the GaAs substrate appears to be a source of acceptors. This effect is enhanced in an oxygen atmosphere. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Magnetic properties of ZnO nanowires with Li dopants and Zn vacancies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guan, Xinhong; Cai, Ningning [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, P.O. Box 72, Beijing 100876 (China); Yang, Chuanghua [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Shanxi University of Technology (SNUT), Hanzhong 723001, Shanxi (China); Chen, Jun [Beijing Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100088 (China); Lu, Pengfei, E-mail: photon.bupt@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, P.O. Box 72, Beijing 100876 (China)

2016-04-30

The electronic and magnetic properties of ZnO nanowire with Li dopants and vacancies have been investigated using first-principles density functional theory. It is found that the Zn vacancy can induce magnetism while increasing the formation energy of the system. However, the calculated results indicate that the introduction of Li-dopants will reduce the formation energy of system. We also have studied the magnetic couplings with vacancies as well as their corresponding configurations with Li-dopants for four configurations of ZnO nanowires. The results show that ferromagnetic properties can be improved/reversed after the introduction of Li-dopants. Ferromagnetic mechanism is originated from the fierce p–p hybridization of O near the Fermi level. We find that ferromagnetism of Li-doped ZnO nanowires with Zn vacancies can be realized at room temperature and they are promising spintronic materials. - Highlights: • Li-dopants will reduce the formation energy of ZnO nanowires with Zn vacancy. • The fierce p–p hybridization of O near Fermi level is responsible for FM properties. • Li-doped ZnO–V{sub Zn} nanowire is a promising FM semiconductor material.

Optimization of CVD parameters for long ZnO NWs grown on ITO ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a II–VI compound semiconductor with a wide direct energy .... observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM/JEOL–. JSM 5140) ... SEM images of ZnO NWs growth on ITO–glass at argon to oxygen flow rate = 200/20 ...

The surface defect-related electroluminescence from the ZnO microwire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding Meng; Zhao Dongxu; Yao Bin; Li Binghui; Zhang Zhenzhong; Shan Chongxin; Shen Dezhen, E-mail: dxzhao2000@yahoo.com.cn [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130021 (China)

2011-02-23

Surface defect-related electroluminescence (EL) was realized from a single ZnO microwire-based metal-semiconductor-metal structure on a glass substrate. ZnO microwires were successfully fabricated using a simple chemical vapour deposition approach. Schottky contacts were detected between Au electrodes and the ZnO microwire. The EL spectrum showed a broad emission band covering the visible range from 400 to 700 nm. The possible EL emission mechanism is discussed in detail in this paper.

Simulation of pure and defective wurtzite-type ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maldonado, Frank; Stashans, Arvids [Grupo de FisicoquImica de Materiales, Instituto de Quimica Aplicada, Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, Apartado 11-01-608, Loja (Ecuador)], E-mail: arvids@utpl.edu.ec

2009-12-15

Changes in the structural and electronic properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) due to the O vacancy and F-centre were studied using a semi-empirical quantum-chemical approach based on Hartree-Fock theory. A periodic supercell of 128 atoms was exploited throughout the study. The semi-empirical parameters for the Zn atom are obtained by reproducing the main properties of the ZnO crystal as well as the first three ionization potentials of the Zn atom. The perturbation imposed by the defect leads to atomic relaxation, which is computed and discussed in detail. It is found that electron density redistribution in the vicinity of defects plays an important role in the determination of atomic movements. The introduction of an oxygen vacancy generates a local one-electron energy level placed below the conduction band while the presence of an F-centre produces a local energy level just above the upper valence band of the material. The deep situation of the local energy level corresponding to the F-centre implies that the F-centre cannot serve as a source of unintentional n-type electrical conductivity in ZnO. Changes in the chemical bonding are observed, showing that it becomes slightly more covalent because of oxygen-vacancy-type defects.

Simulation of pure and defective wurtzite-type ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maldonado, Frank; Stashans, Arvids

2009-01-01

Changes in the structural and electronic properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) due to the O vacancy and F-centre were studied using a semi-empirical quantum-chemical approach based on Hartree-Fock theory. A periodic supercell of 128 atoms was exploited throughout the study. The semi-empirical parameters for the Zn atom are obtained by reproducing the main properties of the ZnO crystal as well as the first three ionization potentials of the Zn atom. The perturbation imposed by the defect leads to atomic relaxation, which is computed and discussed in detail. It is found that electron density redistribution in the vicinity of defects plays an important role in the determination of atomic movements. The introduction of an oxygen vacancy generates a local one-electron energy level placed below the conduction band while the presence of an F-centre produces a local energy level just above the upper valence band of the material. The deep situation of the local energy level corresponding to the F-centre implies that the F-centre cannot serve as a source of unintentional n-type electrical conductivity in ZnO. Changes in the chemical bonding are observed, showing that it becomes slightly more covalent because of oxygen-vacancy-type defects.

MOCVD Growth and Characterization of n-type Zinc Oxide Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Yaacov, Tammy

In the past decade, there has been widespread effort in the development of zinc oxide as a II-V1 semiconductor material. ZnO has potential advantages in optoelectronip device applications due to its unique electrical and optical properties. What stands out among these properties is its wide direct bandgap of 3.37 eV and its high electrical conductivity and transparency in the visible and near-UV regions of the spectrum. ZnO can be grown heteroepitaxially on GaN under near lattice-matched conditions and homoepitaxially as well, as high-quality bulk ZnO substrates are commercially available. This dissertation focuses on the development of the growth of high-quality, single crystal n-type ZnO films, control of n-type conductivity, as well as its application as a transparent contact material in GaN-based devices. The first part of this dissertation is an extensive heteroepitaxial and homoepitaxial growth study presenting the properties of ZnO(0001) layers grown on GaN(0001) templates and ZnO(0001) substrates. We show that deposition on GaN requires a two-step growth technique involving the growth of a low temperature nucleation layer before growing a high temperature epitaxial layer in order to obtain smooth ZnO films with excellent crystal quality and step-flow surface morphology. We obtained homoepitaxial ZnO(0001) films of structural quality and surface morphology that is comparable to the as-received substrates, and showed that a high growth temperature (≥1000°C) is needed in order to achieve step-flow growth mode. We performed n-type doping experiments, and established the conditions for which Indium effectively controls the n-type conductivity of ZnO films grown on GaN(0001) templates. A peak carrier concentration of 3.22x 10 19cm-3 and minimum sheet resistance of 97 O/square was achieved, while simultaneously maintaining good morphology and crystal quality. Finally, we present In-doped ZnO films implemented as p-contacts for GaN-based solar cells and LEDs

Physico-chemical changes of ZnO nanoparticles with different size and surface chemistry under physiological pH conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gwak, Gyeong-Hyeon; Lee, Won-Jae; Paek, Seung-Min; Oh, Jae-Min

2015-03-01

We studied the physico-chemical properties of ZnO nanoparticles under physiological pH conditions (gastric, intestinal and plasma) as functions of their size (20 and 70 nm) and surface chemistry (pristine, L-serine, or citrate coating). ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed in phosphate buffered saline under physiological pH conditions and aliquots were collected at specific time points (0.5, 1, 4, 10 and 24 h) for further characterization. The pH values of the aqueous ZnO colloids at each condition were in the neutral to slightly basic range and showed different patterns depending on the original size and surface chemistry of the ZnO nanoparticles. The gastric pH condition was found to significantly dissolve ZnO nanoparticles up to 18-30 wt%, while the intestinal or plasma pH conditions resulted in much lower dissolution amounts than expected. Based on the X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray absorption spectra, we identified partial phase transition of the ZnO nanoparticles from wurtzite to Zn(OH)2 under the intestinal and plasma pH conditions. Using scanning electron microscopy, we verified that the overall particle size and morphology of all ZnO nanoparticles were maintained regardless of the pH. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Co-Doped ZnO nanoparticles: minireview.

Science.gov (United States)

Djerdj, Igor; Jaglicić, Zvonko; Arcon, Denis; Niederberger, Markus

2010-07-01

Diluted magnetic semiconductors with a Curie temperature exceeding 300 K are promising candidates for spintronic devices and spin-based electronic technologies. We review recent achievements in the field of one of them: Co-doped ZnO at the nanoparticulate scale.

Dual ohmic contact to N- and P-type silicon carbide

Science.gov (United States)

Okojie, Robert S. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Simultaneous formation of electrical ohmic contacts to silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor having donor and acceptor impurities (n- and p-type doping, respectively) is disclosed. The innovation provides for ohmic contacts formed on SiC layers having n- and p-doping at one process step during the fabrication of the semiconductor device. Further, the innovation provides a non-discriminatory, universal ohmic contact to both n- and p-type SiC, enhancing reliability of the specific contact resistivity when operated at temperatures in excess of 600.degree. C.

Reduction of Charge Traps and Stability Enhancement in Solution-Processed Organic Field-Effect Transistors Based on a Blended n-Type Semiconductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Antonio; Riera-Galindo, Sergi; Puigdollers, Joaquim; Mas-Torrent, Marta

2018-05-09

Solution-processed n-type organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are essential elements for developing large-area, low-cost, and all organic logic/complementary circuits. Nonetheless, the development of air-stable n-type organic semiconductors (OSCs) lags behind their p-type counterparts. The trapping of electrons at the semiconductor-dielectric interface leads to a lower performance and operational stability. Herein, we report printed small-molecule n-type OFETs based on a blend with a binder polymer, which enhances the device stability due to the improvement of the semiconductor-dielectric interface quality and a self-encapsulation. Both combined effects prevent the fast deterioration of the OSC. Additionally, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor-like inverter is fabricated depositing p-type and n-type OSCs simultaneously.

Recent progress on doped ZnO nanostructures for visible-light photocatalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samadi, Morasae; Zirak, Mohammad; Naseri, Amene; Khorashadizade, Elham; Moshfegh, Alireza Z.

2016-01-01

Global environmental pollution and energy supply demand have been regarded as important concerns in recent years. Metal oxide semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach to apply environmental remediation as well as fuel generation from water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction. ZnO nanostructures have been shown promising photocatalytic activities due to their non-toxic, inexpensive, and highly efficient nature. However, its wide band gap hinders photo-excitation for practical photocatalytic applications under solar light as an abundant, clean and safe energy source. To overcome this barrier, many strategies have been developed in the last decade to apply ZnO nanostructured photocatalysts under visible light. In this review, we have classified different approaches to activate ZnO as a photocatalyst in visible-light spectrum. Utilization of various nonmetals, transition metals and rare-earth metals for doping in ZnO crystal lattice to create visible-light-responsive doped ZnO photocatalysts is discussed. Generation of localized energy levels within the gap in doped ZnO nanostructures has played an important role in effective photocatalytic reaction under visible-light irradiation. The effect of dopant type, ionic size and its concentration on the crystal structure, electronic property and morphology of doped ZnO with a narrower band gap is reviewed systematically. Finally, a comparative study is performed to evaluate two classes of metals and nonmetals as useful dopants for ZnO nanostructured photocatalysts under visible light. - Highlights: • Metals and nonmetals used as a dopant to shift ZnO band gap toward visible-light. • Modification of electronic structure played a crucial role in doped ZnO activity. • Correlation between dopant's characteristics and ZnO visible activity was reviewed. • Photo-degradation of doped ZnO was studied and compared for different dopants.

Recent progress on doped ZnO nanostructures for visible-light photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samadi, Morasae; Zirak, Mohammad [Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11555-9161, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Naseri, Amene [Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-8639, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khorashadizade, Elham [Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11555-9161, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Moshfegh, Alireza Z., E-mail: moshfegh@sharif.edu [Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11555-9161, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-8639, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-04-30

Global environmental pollution and energy supply demand have been regarded as important concerns in recent years. Metal oxide semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach to apply environmental remediation as well as fuel generation from water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction. ZnO nanostructures have been shown promising photocatalytic activities due to their non-toxic, inexpensive, and highly efficient nature. However, its wide band gap hinders photo-excitation for practical photocatalytic applications under solar light as an abundant, clean and safe energy source. To overcome this barrier, many strategies have been developed in the last decade to apply ZnO nanostructured photocatalysts under visible light. In this review, we have classified different approaches to activate ZnO as a photocatalyst in visible-light spectrum. Utilization of various nonmetals, transition metals and rare-earth metals for doping in ZnO crystal lattice to create visible-light-responsive doped ZnO photocatalysts is discussed. Generation of localized energy levels within the gap in doped ZnO nanostructures has played an important role in effective photocatalytic reaction under visible-light irradiation. The effect of dopant type, ionic size and its concentration on the crystal structure, electronic property and morphology of doped ZnO with a narrower band gap is reviewed systematically. Finally, a comparative study is performed to evaluate two classes of metals and nonmetals as useful dopants for ZnO nanostructured photocatalysts under visible light. - Highlights: • Metals and nonmetals used as a dopant to shift ZnO band gap toward visible-light. • Modification of electronic structure played a crucial role in doped ZnO activity. • Correlation between dopant's characteristics and ZnO visible activity was reviewed. • Photo-degradation of doped ZnO was studied and compared for different dopants.

Amplified spontaneous emission from ZnO in n-ZnO/ZnO nanodots-SiO(2) composite/p-AlGaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Ying Tsang; Wu, Mong Kai; Li, Wei Chih; Kuan, Hon; Yang, Jer Ren; Shiojiri, Makoto; Chen, Miin Jang

2009-04-22

This study demonstrates amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of the ultraviolet (UV) electroluminescence (EL) from ZnO at lambda~380 nm in the n-ZnO/ZnO nanodots-SiO(2) composite/p- Al(0.12)Ga(0.88)N heterojunction light-emitting diode. A SiO(2) layer embedded with ZnO nanodots was prepared on the p-type Al(0.12)Ga(0.88)N using spin-on coating of SiO(2) nanoparticles followed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO. An n-type Al-doped ZnO layer was deposited upon the ZnO nanodots-SiO(2) composite layer also by the ALD technique. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) reveals that the ZnO nanodots embedded in the SiO(2) matrix have diameters of 3-8 nm and the wurtzite crystal structure, which allows the transport of carriers through the thick ZnO nanodots-SiO(2) composite layer. The high quality of the n-ZnO layer was manifested by the well crystallized lattice image in the HRTEM picture and the low-threshold optically pumped stimulated emission. The low refractive index of the ZnO nanodots-SiO(2) composite layer results in the increase in the light extraction efficiency from n-ZnO and the internal optical feedback of UV EL into n-ZnO layer. Consequently, significant enhancement of the UV EL intensity and super-linear increase in the EL intensity, as well as the spectral narrowing, with injection current were observed owing to ASE in the n-ZnO layer.

Magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xuechao; Zhang Huawei; Zhang Tao; Chen Boyuan; Chen Zhizhan; Song Lixin; Shi Erwei

2008-01-01

A series of Mn-doped ZnO films have been prepared in different sputtering plasmas by using the inductively coupled plasma enhanced physical vapour deposition. The films show paramagnetic behaviour when they are deposited in an argon plasma. The Hall measurement indicates that ferromagnetism cannot be realized by increasing the electron concentration. However, the room-temperature ferromagnetism is obtained when the films are deposited in a mixed argon-nitrogen plasma. The first-principles calculations reveal that antiferromagnetic ordering is favoured in the case of the substitution of Mn 2+ for Zn 2+ without additional acceptor doping. The substitution of N for O (N O −) is necessary to induce ferromagnetic couplings in the Zn-Mn-O system. The hybridization between N 2p and Mn 3d provides an empty orbit around the Fermi level. The hopping of Mn 3d electrons through the empty orbit can induce the ferromagnetic coupling. The ferromagnetism in the N-doped Zn-Mn-O system possibly originates from the charge transfer between Mn 2+ and Mn 3+ via N O − . The key factor is the empty orbit provided by substituting N for O, rather than the conductivity type or the carrier concentration

Positron annihilation studies of vacancy-type defects and room temperature ferromagnetism in chemically synthesized Li-doped ZnO nanocrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, S.; Khan, Gobinda Gopal; Mandal, K.; Thapa, Samudrajit; Nambissan, P.M.G.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Evidence of zinc vacancy-induced intrinsic ferromagnetism in Li-doped ZnO. • Modification of defects and properties through alkali metal substitution. • Study of defect-modification using positron annihilation spectroscopy. • New way to prepare ZnO-based magnetic semiconductor for spintronic applications. -- Abstract: In this article, we have investigated the effects of Li incorporation on the lattice defects and room-temperature d 0 ferromagnetic behaviour in ZnO nanocrystals by correlating X-ray photoelectron, photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic study in details. It is found that at low doping level ( 1+ is an effective substituent of Zn site, but it prefers to occupy the interstitial positions when Li-doping exceeds 7 at.% resulting in lattice expansion and increase of particle sizes. The pristine ZnO nanocrystals exhibit ferromagnetic behaviour which is further enhanced significantly after few percentage of Li-doping in ZnO. The magnitude of both saturation magnetizations (M S ) as well as the Curie temperature (T C ) are found to increase considerably up to Li concentration of 10 at.% and then started to decrease on further Li-doping. The gradual enhancement of Zn vacancy (V Zn ) defects in ZnO nanocrystals due to Li substitution as confirmed from photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements might be responsible to induce paramagnetic moments within ZnO host. The ferromagnetic exchange interaction between the localised moments of V Zn defects can be mediated though the holes arising due to Li-substitutional (Li Zn ) acceptor defects within ZnO. Hence, Li doping in ZnO favours in stabilizing considerable V Zn defects and thus helps to sustain long-range high-T C ferromagnetism in ZnO which can be a promising material in future spintronics

Positron annihilation studies of vacancy-type defects and room temperature ferromagnetism in chemically synthesized Li-doped ZnO nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, S., E-mail: sghoshphysics@gmail.com [S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098 (India); Khan, Gobinda Gopal [Centre for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, Technology Campus, Block JD2, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700098 (India); Mandal, K. [S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098 (India); Thapa, Samudrajit; Nambissan, P.M.G. [Centre for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, Technology Campus, Block JD2, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700098 (India); Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Sector 1, Block AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India)

2014-03-25

Highlights: • Evidence of zinc vacancy-induced intrinsic ferromagnetism in Li-doped ZnO. • Modification of defects and properties through alkali metal substitution. • Study of defect-modification using positron annihilation spectroscopy. • New way to prepare ZnO-based magnetic semiconductor for spintronic applications. -- Abstract: In this article, we have investigated the effects of Li incorporation on the lattice defects and room-temperature d{sup 0} ferromagnetic behaviour in ZnO nanocrystals by correlating X-ray photoelectron, photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopic study in details. It is found that at low doping level (<7 at.%), Li{sup 1+} is an effective substituent of Zn site, but it prefers to occupy the interstitial positions when Li-doping exceeds 7 at.% resulting in lattice expansion and increase of particle sizes. The pristine ZnO nanocrystals exhibit ferromagnetic behaviour which is further enhanced significantly after few percentage of Li-doping in ZnO. The magnitude of both saturation magnetizations (M{sub S}) as well as the Curie temperature (T{sub C}) are found to increase considerably up to Li concentration of 10 at.% and then started to decrease on further Li-doping. The gradual enhancement of Zn vacancy (V{sub Zn}) defects in ZnO nanocrystals due to Li substitution as confirmed from photoluminescence and positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements might be responsible to induce paramagnetic moments within ZnO host. The ferromagnetic exchange interaction between the localised moments of V{sub Zn} defects can be mediated though the holes arising due to Li-substitutional (Li{sub Zn}) acceptor defects within ZnO. Hence, Li doping in ZnO favours in stabilizing considerable V{sub Zn} defects and thus helps to sustain long-range high-T{sub C} ferromagnetism in ZnO which can be a promising material in future spintronics.

Comparison of modification strategies towards enhanced charge carrier separation and photocatalytic degradation activity of metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2, WO3 and ZnO)

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, S. Girish; Rao, K. S. R. Koteswara

2017-01-01

Metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2, WO3 and ZnO) finds unparalleled opportunity in wastewater purification under UV/visible light, largely encouraged by their divergent admirable features like stability, non-toxicity, ease of preparation, suitable band edge positions and facile generation of active oxygen species in the aqueous medium. However, the perennial failings of these photocatalysts emanates from the stumbling blocks like rapid charge carrier recombination and meager visible light response. In this review, tailoring the surface-bulk electronic structure through the calibrated and veritable approaches such as impurity doping, deposition with noble metals, sensitizing with other compounds (dyes, polymers, inorganic complexes and simple chelating ligands), hydrogenation process (annealing under hydrogen atmosphere), electronic integration with other semiconductors, modifying with carbon nanostructures, designing with exposed facets and tailoring with hierarchical morphologies to overcome their critical drawbacks are summarized. Taking into account the materials intrinsic properties, the pros and cons together with similarities and striking differences for each strategy in specific to TiO2, WO3 & ZnO are highlighted. These subtlety enunciates the primacy for improving the structure-electronic properties of metal oxides and credence to its fore in the practical applications. Future research must focus on comparing the performances of ZnO, TiO2 and WO3 in parallel to get insight into their photocatalytic behaviors. Such comparisons not only reveal the changed surface-electronic structure upon various modifications, but also shed light on charge carrier dynamics, free radical generation, structural stability and compatibility for photocatalytic reactions. It is envisioned that these cardinal tactics have profound implications and can be replicated to other semiconductor photocatalysts like CeO2, In2O3, Bi2O3, Fe2O3, BiVO4, AgX, BiOX (X = Cl, Br & I), Bi2WO6, Bi2MoO6

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalysis application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazzo, Tatiana Martelli; Minervino, Gabriela Bosco; Medalha Filho, Carlos Alberto, E-mail: tatimazzo@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Baixada Santista, SP (Brazil); Oliveira, Regiane Cristina; Longo, Elson [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCar), SP (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: The search for more effective ways to prevent and remedy environmental problems has a strong academic and technological appeal. Based on the study of a variety of compounds, zinc oxide (ZnO) is an excellent candidate for the synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles due to their potential technological application in various fields [1]. In this work, we were synthesized flowers-like ZnO by coprecipitation and hydrothermal microwave methods. All materials were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, Micro-Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. All XRD patterns correspond to hexagonal structure, which is in agreement with the respective JCPDS card no. 36-1451 for pure ZnO phase with group space group (P63mc) and two molecular formula units per unit cell (Z = 2). Analysis of Micro-Raman spectroscopy showed the presence of vibrational modes in all samples and confirmed the hexagonal ZnO structure. The microscopy images clearly show a change of the morphology of the sample obtained by the co- precipitation method in comparison with those obtained by hydrothermal microwave method. In accordance with the photodegradation the results revealed that the ZnO processed at 140 deg C for 32 minutes have higher photocatalytic efficiency degradation. The Rodamine B dye was completely decolorized at 30 minutes. The pseudo-first order model indicate an increasing in the (k) values with the increase microwave processing time and that improve the ZnO photocatalytic performance. In this work we reported a low-temperature way to prepare the ZnO photocatalytic semiconductor and the results showed a great potential of this material for that application. References: [1] Pearton, S. J; Norton, D. P; et al, Journal of Science and Technology. 22 (2004) 932-948 [2] Kansal, S. K.; Kaur, N. Nanoscale Research Letters 4 (2009) 709-716. (author)

Anomalous output characteristic shift for the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Siyang; Zhang, Chunwei; Sun, Weifeng; Su, Wei; Wang, Shaorong; Ma, Shulang; Huang, Yu

2014-01-01

Anomalous output characteristic shift of the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer is investigated. It shows that the linear drain current has obvious decrease when the output characteristic of fresh device is measured for two consecutive times. The charge pumping experiments demonstrate that the decrease is not from hot-carrier degradation. The reduction of cross section area for the current flowing, which results from the squeezing of the depletion region surrounding the P-top layer, is responsible for the shift. Consequently, the current capability of this special device should be evaluated by the second measured output characteristic

Anomalous output characteristic shift for the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Siyang; Zhang, Chunwei; Sun, Weifeng, E-mail: swffrog@seu.edu.cn [National ASIC System Engineering Research Center, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China); Su, Wei; Wang, Shaorong; Ma, Shulang; Huang, Yu [CSMC Technologies Corporation, Wuxi 214061 (China)

2014-04-14

Anomalous output characteristic shift of the n-type lateral diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor with floating P-top layer is investigated. It shows that the linear drain current has obvious decrease when the output characteristic of fresh device is measured for two consecutive times. The charge pumping experiments demonstrate that the decrease is not from hot-carrier degradation. The reduction of cross section area for the current flowing, which results from the squeezing of the depletion region surrounding the P-top layer, is responsible for the shift. Consequently, the current capability of this special device should be evaluated by the second measured output characteristic.

Positron annihilation spectroscopic characterization of defects in wide band gap oxide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, A.; Luitel, Homnath; Gogurla, N.; Sanyal, D.

2017-03-01

Annealing effect of granular ZnO has been studied by Doppler broadened electron positron annihilated γ-ray (0.511 MeV) line shape measurement. Ratio curve analysis shows that granular ZnO samples contain both Zn and O vacancies. Such defects exist as agglomerates of several vacancies and start to recover above 400 °C annealing. It has also been observed that due to annealing temperature difference of 125 °C (from 325 °C to 450 °C), huge change occurs in low temperature photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO. Significant reduction of free to bound (FB) transition ~3.315 eV is observed for increasing the annealing temperature. It has been conjectured that ~3.315 eV PL in ZnO is related to particular decoration (unknown) of both Zn and O vacancies. The methodology of revealing defect-property correlation as employed here can also be applied to other types of semiconductors.

Piezoelectric ZnO nanostructure for energy harvesting

CERN Document Server

Leprince-Wang, Yamin

2015-01-01

Over the past decade, ZnO as an important II-VI semiconductor has attracted much attention within the scientific community over the world owing to its numerous unique and prosperous properties. This material, considered as a "future material", especially in nanostructural format, has aroused many interesting research works due to its large range of applications in electronics, photonics, acoustics, energy and sensing. The bio-compatibility, piezoelectricity & low cost fabrication make ZnO nanostructure a very promising material for energy harvesting.

The investigation of Ce doped ZnO crystal: The electronic, optical and magnetic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jun-Qing; Zhang, Jian-Min; Qiu, Ze-Gang; Yang, Xu; Li, Zhi-Qin

2018-04-01

The electronic, optical and magnetic properties of Ce doped ZnO crystal have been studied by using first principles method. The research of formation energies show that Ce doped ZnO is energetically stable, and the formation energies reduce from 6.25% to 12.5% for Ce molar percentage. The energy band is still direct band gap after Ce doped, and band gap increases with the increase of Cesbnd Ce distance. The Fermi level moves upward into conduction band and the DOS moves to lower energy with the increase of Ce concentration, which showing the properties of n-type semiconductor. The calculated optical properties imply that Ce doped causes a red-shift of absorption peaks, and enhances the absorption of the visible light. The transition from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic has been found in Ce doped ZnO.

Smoothing of ZnO films by gas cluster ion beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.; Liu, S.W.; Wang, X.M.; Iliev, M.N.; Chen, C.L.; Yu, X.K.; Liu, J.R.; Ma, K.; Chu, W.K.

2005-01-01

Planarization of wide-band-gap semiconductor ZnO surface is crucial for thin-film device performance. In this study, the rough initial surfaces of ZnO films deposited by r.f. magnetron sputtering on Si substrates were smoothed by gas cluster ion beams. AFM measurements show that the average surface roughness (R a ) of the ZnO films could be reduced considerably from 16.1 nm to 0.9 nm. Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor the structure of both the as-grown and the smoothed ZnO films. Rutherford back-scattering in combination with channeling effect was used to study the damage production induced by the cluster bombardment

ZnO Coatings with Controlled Pore Size, Crystallinity and Electrical Conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman SCHMACK

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide is a wide bandgap semiconductor with unique optical, electrical and catalytic properties. Many of its practical applications rely on the materials pore structure, crystallinity and electrical conductivity. We report a synthesis method for ZnO films with ordered mesopore structure and tuneable crystallinity and electrical conductivity. The synthesis relies on dip-coating of solutions containing micelles of an amphiphilic block copolymer and complexes of Zn2+ ions with aliphatic ligands. A subsequent calcination at 400°C removes the template and induces crystallization of the pore walls. The pore structure is controlled by the template polymer, whereas the aliphatic ligands control the crystallinity of the pore walls. Complexes with a higher thermal stability result in ZnO films with a higher content of residual carbon, smaller ZnO crystals and therefore lower electrical conductivity. The paper discusses the ability of different types of ligands to assist in the synthesis of mesoporous ZnO and relates the structure and thermal stability of the precursor complexes to the crystallinity and electrical conductivity of the zinc oxide.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.1.8634

Dimensional effects in semiconductor nanowires; Dimensionseffekte in Halbleiternanodraehten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stichtenoth, Daniel

2008-06-23

. Furthermore, GaAs nanowires were implanted with zinc ions. Electrical measurements on individual nanowires show a conductivity rise by four orders of magnitude. This points to a successful p-type doping. In a lithographic process ZnO nanowires were fabricated to field effect transistors (FET). Depending on the diameter and processing these FETs show carrier concentrations up to 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3} and mobilities up to 4800 cm{sup 2}/(Vs). Finally, a simple scalable process for the production of ZnO nanowire light emitting diodes (LED) is presented. The electro-luminescence of the nanowire LED is dominated by near band gap transitions, i.e. in the UV. It can be explained by tunnel injection from the p-silicon substrate into the ZnO nanowires. The light is mainly emitted from the end faces of the nanowires. This way the diameter of the light sources is defined by the diameter of the nanowires. (orig.)

Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P coating by deposition of sonosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharifalhoseini, Zahra [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Entezari, Mohammad H., E-mail: entezari@um.ac.ir [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Environmental Chemistry Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-10-01

Graphical abstract: Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P layer by ZnO nanoparticles deposition and the comparison with the classical and sonochemical Ni–P coatings. - Highlights: • Unique effects of ultrasound were investigated on the anticorrosive performance of electroless Ni–P coating. • Sonoynthesis of ZnO NPs and its deposition were performed on the surface of Ni–P coating. • ZnO as an anticorrosive has a critical role in the multifunctional surfaces. • Electrochemical properties of all fabricated samples were compared with each other. - Abstract: Ni–P coatings were deposited through electroless nickel plating in the presence and absence of ultrasound. The simultaneous synthesis of ZnO nanoparticle and its deposition under ultrasound were also carried out on the surface of Ni–P layer prepared by the classical method. The morphology of the surfaces and the chemical composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Electrochemical techniques were applied for the corrosion behavior studies. The Ni–P layer deposited by ultrasound showed a higher anticorrosive property than the layer deposited by the classical method. The ZnO nanoparticles deposited on the surface of Ni–P layer significantly improved the corrosion resistance.

Photocatalytic Water Oxidation on ZnO: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharifah Bee Abdul Hamid

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The investigation of the water oxidation mechanism on photocatalytic semiconductor surfaces has gained much attention for its potential to unlock the technological limitations of producing H2 from carbon-free sources, i.e., H2O. This review seeks to highlight the available scientific and fundamental understanding towards the water oxidation mechanism on ZnO surfaces, as well as present a summary on the modification strategies carried out to increase the photocatalytic response of ZnO.

Resistive Switching Characteristics in Electrochemically Synthesized ZnO Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuhan Jing

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The semiconductor industry has long been seeking a new kind of non-volatile memory technology with high-density, high-speed, and low-power consumption. This study demonstrated the electrochemical synthesis of ZnO films without adding any soft or hard templates. The effect of deposition temperatures on crystal structure, surface morphology and resistive switching characteristics were investigated. Our findings reveal that the crystallinity, surface morphology and resistive switching characteristics of ZnO thin films can be well tuned by controlling deposition temperature. A conducting filament based model is proposed to explain the switching mechanism in ZnO thin films.

pH-Dependent Toxicity of High Aspect Ratio ZnO Nanowires in Macrophages Due to Intracellular Dissolution

KAUST Repository

H. Müller, Karin

2010-11-23

High-aspect ratio ZnO nanowires have become one of the most promising products in the nanosciences within the past few years with a multitude of applications at the interface of optics and electronics. The interaction of zinc with cells and organisms is complex, with both deficiency and excess causing severe effects. The emerging significance of zinc for many cellular processes makes it imperative to investigate the biological safety of ZnO nanowires in order to guarantee their safe economic exploitation. In this study, ZnO nanowires were found to be toxic to human monocyte macrophages (HMMs) at similar concentrations as ZnCl2. Confocal microscopy on live cells confirmed a rise in intracellular Zn2+ concentrations prior to cell death. In vitro, ZnO nanowires dissolved very rapidly in a simulated body fluid of lysosomal pH, whereas they were comparatively stable at extracellular pH. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed a rapid macrophage uptake of ZnO nanowire aggregates by phagocytosis. Nanowire dissolution occurred within membrane-bound compartments, triggered by the acidic pH of the lysosomes. ZnO nanowire dissolution was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Deposition of electron-dense material throughout the ZnO nanowire structures observed by TEM could indicate adsorption of cellular components onto the wires or localized zinc-induced protein precipitation. Our study demonstrates that ZnO nanowire toxicity in HMMs is due to pH-triggered, intracellular release of ionic Zn2+ rather than the high-aspect nature of the wires. Cell death had features of necrosis as well as apoptosis, with mitochondria displaying severe structural changes. The implications of these findings for the application of ZnO nanowires are discussed. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Cu2O-based solar cells using oxide semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Nishi, Yuki; Miyata, Toshihiro

2016-01-01

We describe significant improvements of the photovoltaic properties that were achieved in Al-doped ZnO (AZO)/n-type oxide semiconductor/p-type Cu 2 O heterojunction solar cells fabricated using p-type Cu 2 O sheets prepared by thermally oxidizing Cu sheets. The multicomponent oxide thin film used as the n-type semiconductor layer was prepared with various chemical compositions on non-intentionally heated Cu 2 O sheets under various deposition conditions using a pulsed laser deposition method. In Cu 2 O-based heterojunction solar cells fabricated using various ternary compounds as the n-type oxide thin-film layer, the best photovoltaic performance was obtained with an n-ZnGa 2 O 4 thin-film layer. In most of the Cu 2 O-based heterojunction solar cells using multicomponent oxides composed of combinations of various binary compounds, the obtained photovoltaic properties changed gradually as the chemical composition was varied. However, with the ZnO-MgO and Ga 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 systems, higher conversion efficiencies (η) as well as a high open circuit voltage (V oc ) were obtained by using a relatively small amount of MgO or Al 2 O 3 , e.g., (ZnO) 0.91 –(MgO) 0.09 and (Ga 2 O 3 ) 0.975 –(Al 2 O 3 ) 0.025 , respectively. When Cu 2 O-based heterojunction solar cells were fabricated using Al 2 O 3 –Ga 2 O 3 –MgO–ZnO (AGMZO) multicomponent oxide thin films deposited with metal atomic ratios of 10, 60, 10 and 20 at.% for the Al, Ga, Mg and Zn, respectively, a high V oc of 0.98 V and an η of 4.82% were obtained. In addition, an enhanced η and an improved fill factor could be achieved in AZO/n-type multicomponent oxide/p-type Cu 2 O heterojunction solar cells fabricated using Na-doped Cu 2 O (Cu 2 O:Na) sheets that featured a resistivity controlled by optimizing the post-annealing temperature and duration. Consequently, an η of 6.25% and a V oc of 0.84 V were obtained in a MgF 2 /AZO/n-(Ga 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3 )/p-Cu 2 O:Na heterojunction solar cell fabricated using

Cu2O-based solar cells using oxide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Nishi, Yuki; Miyata, Toshihiro

2016-01-01

We describe significant improvements of the photovoltaic properties that were achieved in Al-doped ZnO (AZO)/n-type oxide semiconductor/p-type Cu2O heterojunction solar cells fabricated using p-type Cu2O sheets prepared by thermally oxidizing Cu sheets. The multicomponent oxide thin film used as the n-type semiconductor layer was prepared with various chemical compositions on non-intentionally heated Cu2O sheets under various deposition conditions using a pulsed laser deposition method. In Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells fabricated using various ternary compounds as the n-type oxide thin-film layer, the best photovoltaic performance was obtained with an n-ZnGa2O4 thin-film layer. In most of the Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells using multicomponent oxides composed of combinations of various binary compounds, the obtained photovoltaic properties changed gradually as the chemical composition was varied. However, with the ZnO-MgO and Ga2O3-Al2O3 systems, higher conversion efficiencies (η) as well as a high open circuit voltage (Voc) were obtained by using a relatively small amount of MgO or Al2O3, e.g., (ZnO)0.91-(MgO)0.09 and (Ga2O3)0.975-(Al2O3)0.025, respectively. When Cu2O-based heterojunction solar cells were fabricated using Al2O3-Ga2O3-MgO-ZnO (AGMZO) multicomponent oxide thin films deposited with metal atomic ratios of 10, 60, 10 and 20 at.% for the Al, Ga, Mg and Zn, respectively, a high Voc of 0.98 V and an η of 4.82% were obtained. In addition, an enhanced η and an improved fill factor could be achieved in AZO/n-type multicomponent oxide/p-type Cu2O heterojunction solar cells fabricated using Na-doped Cu2O (Cu2O:Na) sheets that featured a resistivity controlled by optimizing the post-annealing temperature and duration. Consequently, an η of 6.25% and a Voc of 0.84 V were obtained in a MgF2/AZO/n-(Ga2O3-Al2O3)/p-Cu2O:Na heterojunction solar cell fabricated using a Cu2O:Na sheet with a resistivity of approximately 10 Ω·cm and a (Ga0.975Al0

Electric-field driven insulator-metal transition and tunable magnetoresistance in ZnO thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Le; Chen, Shanshan; Chen, Xiangyang; Ye, Zhizhen; Zhu, Liping

2018-04-01

Electrical control of the multistate phase in semiconductors offers the promise of nonvolatile functionality in the future semiconductor spintronics. Here, by applying an external electric field, we have observed a gate-induced insulator-metal transition (MIT) with the temperature dependence of resistivity in ZnO thin films. Due to a high-density carrier accumulation, we have shown the ability to inverse change magnetoresistance in ZnO by ionic liquid gating from 10% to -2.5%. The evolution of photoluminescence under gate voltage was also consistent with the MIT, which is due to the reduction of dislocation. Our in-situ gate-controlled photoluminescence, insulator-metal transition, and the conversion of magnetoresistance open up opportunities in searching for quantum materials and ZnO based photoelectric devices.

Theoretical prediction of low-density hexagonal ZnO hollow structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuoc, Vu Ngoc, E-mail: tuoc.vungoc@hust.edu.vn [Institute of Engineering Physics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Huan, Tran Doan [Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3136 (United States); Thao, Nguyen Thi [Institute of Engineering Physics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Hong Duc University, 307 Le Lai, Thanh Hoa City (Viet Nam); Tuan, Le Manh [Hong Duc University, 307 Le Lai, Thanh Hoa City (Viet Nam)

2016-10-14

Along with wurtzite and zinc blende, zinc oxide (ZnO) has been found in a large number of polymorphs with substantially different properties and, hence, applications. Therefore, predicting and synthesizing new classes of ZnO polymorphs are of great significance and have been gaining considerable interest. Herein, we perform a density functional theory based tight-binding study, predicting several new series of ZnO hollow structures using the bottom-up approach. The geometry of the building blocks allows for obtaining a variety of hexagonal, low-density nanoporous, and flexible ZnO hollow structures. Their stability is discussed by means of the free energy computed within the lattice-dynamics approach. Our calculations also indicate that all the reported hollow structures are wide band gap semiconductors in the same fashion with bulk ZnO. The electronic band structures of the ZnO hollow structures are finally examined in detail.

Photoelectrochemical performance of DSSC with monodisperse and polydisperse ZnO SPs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wahyuono, Ruri Agung, E-mail: r-agung-w@ep.its.ac.id; Risanti, Doty D., E-mail: r-agung-w@ep.its.ac.id [Department of Engineering Physics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Indonesia); Shirosaki, Tomohiro; Nagaoka, Shoji [Kumamoto Industrial Research Institute (Japan); Takafuji, Makoto; Ihara, Hirotaka [Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kumamoto University (Japan)

2014-02-24

Zinc oxide, ZnO, is one of oxide semiconductors being used in DSSC. ZnO is promising material for having fairly higher energy band gap and much higher bulk electron mobility than that of anatase TiO{sub 2}, the most widely used semiconductor for DSSC photoelectrode. This study introduces the synthesis of ZnO by precipitation method. The synthesis involves ZnAc dihydrate and diethylene glycol (DEG) for the chemicals. Various size of ZnO spherical particles (SPs) are obtained in polydisperse and monodisperse particles. Monolayer and bilayer DSSCs are fabricated in sandwich structure and sensitized with N719 dye for 3 and 5 hours. Monolayer DSSC using monodisperse particles (422 nm) is able to generate highest conversion efficiency of 0.569% (V{sub oc} = 541.3 mV, J{sub sc} = 1.92 mA/cm{sup 2}, and fill factor of 54.78%). Bilayer DSSC, i.e. combined 422 - 185 nm ZnO layer, can optimize the photocurrent action spectra in UV regime leading to high conversion efficiency of 0.568 (V{sub oc} = 568.2 mV, J{sub sc} = 2.22 mA/cm{sup 2}, and fill factor of 47.25%). The longer sensitizing time does not always produce better conversion efficiency since it can induce the dissolution of Zn atoms and formation of Zn{sup 2+} - dye resisting the electron transport from dye to ZnO photoelectrode.

Method to induce a conductivity type in a semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboaf, J.A.; Sedgwick, T.O.

1977-01-01

The invention deals with a method in which one can produce a region of a desired type of conductivity in a semiconductor as is required for, e.g., field effect transistors. A metal oxide layer combination consisting of several metal oxides is thus deposited on the semiconductor. This is carried out according to the invention in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at temperatures at which the metal oxides do not diffuse into the semiconductor. The sign and degree of the induced conductivity type is adjusted by dosed depositing of the individual metal oxides related to one another. The gaseous metal oxides due to heating, mixed with a non-oxidizing gas are added in compounds to the semiconductor heated to depositing temperature. These compounds decompose at the depositing temperature into the metal oxide and a gaseous residual component. The semiconductor consists of silicon, and nitrogen is used as carrier gas; when depositing aluminium oxide, gaseous aluminium isopropoxide is added; when depositing silicon dioxide, gaseous tetra-ethyl orthosilicate. (ORU) [de

The effects of ZnO buffer layers on the properties of phosphorus doped ZnO thin films grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K-W; Lugo, F J; Lee, J H; Norton, D P

2012-01-01

The properties of phosphorus doped ZnO thin films grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition were examined, specifically focusing on the effects of undoped ZnO buffer layers. In particular, buffer layers were grown under different conditions; the transport properties of as-deposited and rapid thermal annealed ZnO:P films were then examined. As-deposited films showed n-type conductivity. After rapid thermal annealing, the film on buffer layer grown at a low temperature showed the conversion of carrier type to p-type for specific growth conditions while the films deposited on buffer layer grown at a high temperature remained n-type regardless of growth condition. The films deposited on buffer layer grown at a low temperature showed higher resistivity and more significant change of the transport properties upon rapid thermal annealing. These results suggest that more dopants are incorporated in films with higher defect density. This is consistent with high resolution x-ray diffraction results for phosphorus doped ZnO films on different buffer layers. In addition, the microstructure of phosphorus doped ZnO films is substantially affected by the buffer layer.

A high power ZnO thin film piezoelectric generator

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Weiwei; Li, Tao; Li, Yutong; Qiu, Junwen; Ma, Xianjun; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Hu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Wei

2016-02-01

A highly efficient and large area piezoelectric ZnO thin film nanogenerator (NG) was fabricated. The ZnO thin film was deposited onto a Si substrate by pulsed laser ablation at a substrate temperature of 500 °C. The deposited ZnO film exhibited a preferred c-axis orientation and a high piezoelectric value of 49.7 pm/V characterized using Piezoelectric Force Microscopy (PFM). Thin films of ZnO were patterned into rectangular power sources with dimensions of 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 with metallic top and bottom electrodes constructed via conventional semiconductor lithographic patterning processes. The NG units were subjected to periodic bending/unbending motions produced by mechanical impingement at a fixed frequency of 100 Hz at a pressure of 0.4 kg/cm2. The output electrical voltage, current density, and power density generated by one ZnO NG were recorded. Values of ∼95 mV, 35 μA cm-2 and 5.1 mW cm-2 were recorded. The level of power density is typical to that produced by a PZT NG on a flexible substrate. Higher energy NG sources can be easily created by adding more power units either in parallel or in series. The thin film ZnO NG technique is highly adaptable with current semiconductor processes, and as such, is easily integrated with signal collecting circuits that are compatible with mass production. A typical application would be using the power harvested from irregular human foot motions to either to operate blue LEDs directly or to drive a sensor network node in mille-power level without any external electric source and circuits.

Binary Oxide p-n Heterojunction Piezoelectric Nanogenerators with an Electrochemically Deposited High p-Type Cu2O Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Seung Ki; Kwak, Sung Soo; Kim, Joo Sung; Kim, Sang Woo; Cho, Hyung Koun

2016-08-31

The high performance of ZnO-based piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) has been limited due to the potential screening from intrinsic electron carriers in ZnO. We have demonstrated a novel approach to greatly improve piezoelectric power generation by electrodepositing a high-quality p-type Cu2O layer between the piezoelectric semiconducting film and the metal electrode. The p-n heterojunction using only oxides suppresses the screening effect by forming an intrinsic depletion region, and thus sufficiently enhances the piezoelectric potential, compared to the pristine ZnO piezoelectric NG. Interestingly, a Sb-doped Cu2O layer has high mobility and low surface trap states. Thus, this doped layer is an attractive p-type material to significantly improve piezoelectric performance. Our results revealed that p-n junction NGs consisting of Au/ZnO/Cu2O/indium tin oxide with a Cu2O:Sb (cuprous oxide with a small amount of antimony) layer of sufficient thickness (3 μm) exhibit an extraordinarily high piezoelectric potential of 0.9 V and a maximum output current density of 3.1 μA/cm(2).

Interface-defect-mediated photocatalysis of mesocrystalline ZnO assembly synthesized in-situ via a template-free hydrothermal approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui; Wang, Cuicui; Chen, Qifeng; Ren, Baosheng; Guan, Ruifang; Cao, Xiaofeng; Yang, Xiaopeng; Duan, Ran

2017-08-01

Both architecture construction and defects engineering of photocatalysts are highly vital in the photocatalytic activity. We report herein that the interface-defect-mediated photocatalytic activity of pompon-like ZnO (P-ZnO) mesocrystal photocatalyst synthesized via an aqueous approach, in the presence of sodium citrate without any other organic templates. The microstructure and defects of the diverse ZnO photocatalysts were examined with various techniques. The results indicated that the P-ZnO assemblies were composed of mesocrystal nanosheets exposed high energy (002) facet with high crystallinity. More importantly, the defects located at the interfaces among the nanocrystals in ZnO mesocrystals played an important role in the photocatalytic activity than that of interstitial zinc vacancies in bulk, which was confirmed by photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, such as methylene blue (MB) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). The results showed that the P-ZnO exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than that of the nanosized ZnO (N-ZnO), which could be attributed to not only the unique mesocrystal structure and high energy (002) facet exposed, but also the defects located at interfaces among nanocrystals in ZnO mesocrystals. In addition, the formation mechanism of the P-ZnO was investigated via a time-dependent method. It was found that the formation of P-ZnO hierarchical architecture assembled with ZnO mesocrystals involved a nonclassical crystallization growth and Ostwald Ripening process. This study provides a perspective on the improvement in photocatalytic activity via adjusting the bulk and interface defects and construction of hierarchical architectures of semiconductors.

UV/ozone assisted local graphene (p)/ZnO(n) heterojunctions as a nanodiode rectifier

Science.gov (United States)

Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee

2016-07-01

Here we report the fabrication of a novel graphene/ZnO nanodiode by UV/ozone assisted oxidation of graphene and demonstrate its application as a half-wave rectifier to generate DC voltage. The method involves the use of electrospinning for one-step in situ synthesis and alignment of single Gr/ZnO nanocomposite across metal electrodes. On subsequent UV illumination, graphene oxidizes, which induces p type doping and ZnO being an n type semiconductor, thus resulting in the formation of a nanodiode. The as-fabricated device shows strong non-linear current-voltage characteristic similar to that of conventional semiconductor p-n junction diodes. Excellent rectifying behavior with a rectification ratio of ~103 was observed and the nanodiodes were found to exhibit long-term repeatability in their performance. Ideality factor and barrier height, as calculated by the thermionic emission model, were found to be 1.6 and 0.504 eV respectively. Due to the fact that diodes are the basic building blocks in the electronics and semiconductor industry, the successful fabrication of these nanodiodes based on UV assisted p type doping of graphene indicates that this approach can be used for developing highly scalable and efficient components for nanoelectronics, such as rectifiers and logic gates that find applications in numerous fields.

Recent advances in ZnO nanostructures and thin films for biosensor applications: Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arya, Sunil K.; Saha, Shibu; Ramirez-Vick, Jaime E.; Gupta, Vinay; Bhansali, Shekhar; Singh, Surinder P.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: ZnO nanostructures have shown binding of biomolecules in desired orientation with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, their compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes them suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films, and their applications in biosensor technology. Highlights: ► This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films. ► Article highlights the importance of ZnO nanostructures as biosensor matrix. ► Article highlights the advances in various biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures. ► Article describes the potential of ZnO based biosensor for new generation healthcare devices. - Abstract: Biosensors have shown great potential for health care and environmental monitoring. The performance of biosensors depends on their components, among which the matrix material, i.e., the layer between the recognition layer of biomolecule and transducer, plays a crucial role in defining the stability, sensitivity and shelf-life of a biosensor. Recently, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and thin films have attracted much interest as materials for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, high isoelectric point, electrochemical activity, high electron mobility, ease of synthesis by diverse methods and high surface-to-volume ratio. ZnO nanostructures have shown the binding of biomolecules in desired orientations with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes ZnO nanostructures suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review

Recent advances in ZnO nanostructures and thin films for biosensor applications: Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arya, Sunil K., E-mail: sunilarya333@gmail.com [Bioelectronics Program, Institute of Microelectronics, A-Star 11 Science Park Road, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117685 (Singapore); Saha, Shibu [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Ramirez-Vick, Jaime E. [Engineering Science and Materials Department, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR 00681 (United States); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Bhansali, Shekhar [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States); Singh, Surinder P., E-mail: singh.uprm@gmail.com [National Physical Laboratory, Dr K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2012-08-06

Graphical abstract: ZnO nanostructures have shown binding of biomolecules in desired orientation with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, their compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes them suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films, and their applications in biosensor technology. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article highlights the importance of ZnO nanostructures as biosensor matrix. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article highlights the advances in various biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article describes the potential of ZnO based biosensor for new generation healthcare devices. - Abstract: Biosensors have shown great potential for health care and environmental monitoring. The performance of biosensors depends on their components, among which the matrix material, i.e., the layer between the recognition layer of biomolecule and transducer, plays a crucial role in defining the stability, sensitivity and shelf-life of a biosensor. Recently, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and thin films have attracted much interest as materials for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, high isoelectric point, electrochemical activity, high electron mobility, ease of synthesis by diverse methods and high surface-to-volume ratio. ZnO nanostructures have shown the binding of biomolecules in desired orientations with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes ZnO

Luminescent Tellurium-Doped Cadmium Sulfide Electrodes as Probes of Semiconductor Excited-State Deactivation Processes in Photoelectrochemical Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-08-12

photocurrent and emission intensity. Whereas CdS:Te electrochemistry consisted of oxidation of an electrolyte 2+ reductant, ZnO underwent photoanodic...employed n- and 1 3 2,3 3 3,4p-type GaPl’ n-type ZnO , n-type CdS , and n- and p-type GaAs. We have focussed our attention recently on n-type, tellurium...should point out that our treatment of Or and 0x is not without precedent. Both GaP- and ZnO -based PECs have been examined in this regard.l12 The

Epitaxial ZnO gate dielectrics deposited by RF sputter for AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Seonno; Lee, Seungmin; Kim, Hyun-Seop; Cha, Ho-Young; Lee, Hi-Deok; Oh, Jungwoo

2018-01-01

Radio frequency (RF)-sputtered ZnO gate dielectrics for AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MOS-HEMTs) were investigated with varying O2/Ar ratios. The ZnO deposited with a low oxygen content of 4.5% showed a high dielectric constant and low interface trap density due to the compensation of oxygen vacancies during the sputtering process. The good capacitance-voltage characteristics of ZnO-on-AlGaN/GaN capacitors resulted from the high crystallinity of oxide at the interface, as investigated by x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The MOS-HEMTs demonstrated comparable output electrical characteristics with conventional Ni/Au HEMTs but a lower gate leakage current. At a gate voltage of -20 V, the typical gate leakage current for a MOS-HEMT with a gate length of 6 μm and width of 100 μm was found to be as low as 8.2 × 10-7 mA mm-1, which was three orders lower than that of the Ni/Au Schottky gate HEMT. The reduction of the gate leakage current improved the on/off current ratio by three orders of magnitude. These results indicate that RF-sputtered ZnO with a low O2/Ar ratio is a good gate dielectric for high-performance AlGaN/GaN MOS-HEMTs.

Nanoscale semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell heterostructures: facile synthesis and light emission

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gong Ping; Chen, Rui; Guo, Dong Lai; Wong, Lai Mun; Wang, Shi Jie; Sun, Han Dong; Wu, Tom

2011-08-01

Controllably constructing hierarchical nanostructures with distinct components and designed architectures is an important theme of research in nanoscience, entailing novel but reliable approaches of bottom-up synthesis. Here, we report a facile method to reproducibly create semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell nanostructures, which involves first coating uniform MgO shells onto metal oxide nanostructures in solution and then decorating them with Au nanoparticles. The semiconductor nanowire core can be almost any material and, herein, ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3 are used as examples. We also show that linear chains of short ZnO nanorods embedded in MgO nanotubes and porous MgO nanotubes can be obtained by taking advantage of the reduced thermal stability of the ZnO core. Furthermore, after MgO shell-coating and the appropriate annealing treatment, the intensity of the ZnO near-band-edge UV emission becomes much stronger, showing a 25-fold enhancement. The intensity ratio of the UV/visible emission can be increased further by decorating the surface of the ZnO/MgO nanowires with high-density plasmonic Au nanoparticles. These heterostructured semiconductor-insulator-metal nanowires with tailored morphologies and enhanced functionalities have great potential for use as nanoscale building blocks in photonic and electronic applications.Controllably constructing hierarchical nanostructures with distinct components and designed architectures is an important theme of research in nanoscience, entailing novel but reliable approaches of bottom-up synthesis. Here, we report a facile method to reproducibly create semiconductor-insulator-metal core/shell nanostructures, which involves first coating uniform MgO shells onto metal oxide nanostructures in solution and then decorating them with Au nanoparticles. The semiconductor nanowire core can be almost any material and, herein, ZnO, SnO2 and In2O3 are used as examples. We also show that linear chains of short ZnO nanorods embedded in

ZnO nanorods/polyaniline heterojunctions for low-power flexible light sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talib, Rawnaq A.; Abdullah, M.J. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology (NOR) Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang (Malaysia); Al-Salman, Husam S. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah (Iraq); Mohammad, Sabah M. [Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology (NOR) Laboratory, School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang (Malaysia); Allam, Nageh K., E-mail: nageh.allam@aucegypt.edu [Energy Materials Laboratory (EML), School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835 (Egypt)

2016-09-15

Zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) were directly grown on p-type polyaniline (PAni)/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using chemical bath deposition method at low temperature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to study the morphology and structure of the fabricated films. The resulted ZnO NRs are hexagonal and grew vertically on the PAni surface in the (002) direction along the c-axis. The compressive strain, Raman and photoluminescence measurements confirmed the high-quality crystal structure of the formed ZnO NRs with no damage of the PAni surface. The photodetector made using ZnO NRs/PAni junction showed a sensitivity of 85% and a quantum efficiency of 12.3% at 5 V. - Highlights: • ZnO NRs/polyaniline p-n junction photodetectors were fabricated on flexible substrates. • The fabricated ZnO NRs grew along the (002) direction. • The fabricated ZnO NRs have low compressive strain. • The ZnO NRs/PAni junction showed a high sensitivity of 85%. • The photodetectors showed quantum efficiency as high as 12%.

Electronic Transport Properties of One Dimensional Zno Nanowires Studied Using Maximally-Localized Wannier Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xu; Gu, Yousong; Wang, Xueqiang

2012-08-01

One dimensional ZnO NWs with different diameters and lengths have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and Maximally Localized Wannier Functions (MLWFs). It is found that ZnO NWs are direct band gap semiconductors and there exist a turn on voltage for observable current. ZnO nanowires with different diameters and lengths show distinctive turn-on voltage thresholds in I-V characteristics curves. The diameters of ZnO NWs are greatly influent the transport properties of ZnO NWs. For the ZnO NW with large diameter that has more states and higher transmission coefficients leads to narrow band gap and low turn on voltage. In the case of thinner diameters, the length of ZnO NW can effects the electron tunneling and longer supercell lead to higher turn on voltage.

A Review on the Fabrication of Hierarchical ZnO Nanostructures for Photocatalysis Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Xia

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Semiconductor photocatalysis provides potential solutions for many energy and environmental-related issues. Recently, various semiconductors with hierarchical nanostructures have been fabricated to achieve efficient photocatalysts owing to their multiple advantages, such as high surface area, porous structures, as well as enhanced light harvesting. ZnO has been widely investigated and considered as the most promising alternative photocatalyst to TiO2. Herein, we present a review on the fabrication methods, growth mechanisms and photocatalytic applications of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures. Various synthetic strategies and growth mechanisms, including multistep sequential growth routes, template-based synthesis, template-free self-organization and precursor or self-templating strategies, are highlighted. In addition, the fabrication of multicomponent ZnO-based nanocomposites with hierarchical structures is also included. Finally, the application of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures and nanocomposites in typical photocatalytic reactions, such as pollutant degradation and H2 evolution, is reviewed.

Electrochemical Sensing, Photocatalytic and Biological Activities of ZnO Nanoparticles: Synthesis via Green Chemistry Route

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, L. S. Reddy; Archana, B.; Lingaraju, K.; Kavitha, C.; Suresh, D.; Nagabhushana, H.; Nagaraju, G.

2016-05-01

In this paper, we have successfully synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (Nps) via solution combustion method using sugarcane juice as the novel fuel. The structure and morphology of the synthesized ZnO Nps have been analyzed using various analytical tools. The synthesized ZnO Nps exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue dye, indicating that the ZnO Nps are potential photocatalytic semiconductor materials. The synthesized ZnO Nps also show good electrochemical sensing of dopamine. ZnO Nps exhibit significant bactericidal activity against Klebsiella aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Eschesichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using agar well diffusion method. Furthermore, the ZnO Nps show good antioxidant activity by potentially scavenging 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The above studies clearly demonstrate versatile applications of ZnO synthesized by simple eco-friendly route.

Growth of antimony doped P-type zinc oxide nanowires for optoelectronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zhong Lin; Pradel, Ken

2016-09-27

In a method of growing p-type nanowires, a nanowire growth solution of zinc nitrate (Zn(NO.sub.3).sub.2), hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and polyethylenemine (800 M.sub.w PEI) is prepared. A dopant solution to the growth solution, the dopant solution including an equal molar ration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), glycolic acid (C.sub.2H.sub.4O.sub.3) and antimony acetate (Sb(CH.sub.3COO).sub.3) in water is prepared. The dopant solution and the growth solution combine to generate a resulting solution that includes antimony to zinc in a ratio of between 0.2% molar to 2.0% molar, the resulting solution having a top surface. An ammonia solution is added to the resulting solution. A ZnO seed layer is applied to a substrate and the substrate is placed into the top surface of the resulting solution with the ZnO seed layer facing downwardly for a predetermined time until Sb-doped ZnO nanowires having a length of at least 5 .mu.m have grown from the ZnO seed layer.

Efficient n-type doping of zinc-blende III-V semiconductor nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Besteiro, Lucas V.; Tortajada, Luis; Souto, J.; Gallego, L. J.; Chelikowsky, James R.; Alemany, M. M. G.

2014-03-01

We demonstrate that it is preferable to dope III-V semiconductor nanowires by n-type anion substitution as opposed to cation substitution. Specifically, we show the dopability of zinc-blende nanowires is more efficient when the dopants are placed at the anion site as quantified by formation energies and the stabilization of DX-like defect centers. The comparison with previous work on n - type III-V semiconductor nanocrystals also allows to determine the role of dimensionality and quantum confinement on doping characteristics of materials. Our results are based on first-principles calculations of InP nanowires by using the PARSEC code. Work supported by the Spanish MICINN (FIS2012-33126) and Xunta de Galicia (GPC2013-043) in conjunction with FEDER. JRC acknowledges support from DoE (DE-FG02-06ER46286 and DESC0008877). Computational support was provided in part by CESGA.

Controllable growth and magnetic properties of nickel nanoclusters electrodeposited on the ZnO nanorod template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Yang; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen; Zhang Jiying; Wang Xiaohua

2009-01-01

The ZnO nanorods were used as a template to fabricate nickel nanoclusters by electrodeposition. The ZnO nanorod arrays act as a nano-semiconductor electrode for depositing metallic and magnetic nickel nanoclusters. The growth sites of Ni nanoclusters could be controlled by adjusting the applied potential. Under -1.15 V the Ni nanoclusters could be grown on the tips of ZnO nanorods. On increasing the potential to be more negative the ZnO nanorods were covered by Ni nanoclusters. The magnetic properties of the electrodeposited Ni nanoclusters also evolved with the applied potentials.

Controllable growth and magnetic properties of nickel nanoclusters electrodeposited on the ZnO nanorod template

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang Yang; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen; Zhang Jiying [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 East Nan-Hu Road, Open Economic Zone, Changchun 130033 (China); Wang Xiaohua, E-mail: dxzhao2000@yahoo.com.c [National Key Laboratory of High Power Semiconductor Laser, Changchun University of Science and Technology, 7089 WeiXing Road, ChangChun 130022 (China)

2009-12-09

The ZnO nanorods were used as a template to fabricate nickel nanoclusters by electrodeposition. The ZnO nanorod arrays act as a nano-semiconductor electrode for depositing metallic and magnetic nickel nanoclusters. The growth sites of Ni nanoclusters could be controlled by adjusting the applied potential. Under -1.15 V the Ni nanoclusters could be grown on the tips of ZnO nanorods. On increasing the potential to be more negative the ZnO nanorods were covered by Ni nanoclusters. The magnetic properties of the electrodeposited Ni nanoclusters also evolved with the applied potentials.

Strategies of making TiO2 and ZnO visible light active

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, Shama; Ullah, Ruh; Butt, A.M.; Gohar, N.D.

2009-01-01

In modern purification techniques employing semiconductor mediated photooxidation of toxic substances, zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) are the most widely used metal oxides due to their unique blend of properties. However, the band edges of these semiconductors lie in the UV region which makes them inactive under visible light irradiation. Researchers have been interested in the modification of electronic and optical properties of these metal oxides for their efficient use in water and air purification under visible light irradiation. Visible light activity has been induced in TiO 2 and ZnO by surface modification via organic materials/semiconductor coupling and band gap modification by doping with metals and nonmetals, co-doping with nonmetals, creation of oxygen vacancies and oxygen sub-stoichiometry. This paper encompasses the progress and developments made so far through these techniques in the visible light photocatalysis with TiO 2 and ZnO. Recently, nitrogen doping in titania has been extensively carried out and therefore somewhat detailed discussion in this respect has been presented. Visible light activation of titania clusters encapsulated in zeolite-Y by nitrogen doping and incorporation of dye or organic sensitizers inside the zeolite framework, has also been highlighted in this review.

Evaluation of vacancy-type defects in ZnO by the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, R.; Togimitsu, T.; Sato, W.

2015-01-01

Thermal behavior of vacancy-type defects in polycrystalline ZnO was studied by the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Two-component analysis of the PALS spectra revealed that the defect-related longer-lifetime component decreases as the annealing temperature is raised, and almost disappears within 15 min when annealed at 1,273 K. We also found that the intensity of this component decreases with increasing density of the annealed ZnO pellets; however, little density dependence was seen in its lifetime. These observations evidently suggest that this component having long lifetime of about 400 ps corresponds to the positrons trapped in grain boundaries in the polycrystalline ZnO. (author)

Preparation of ZnO film on p-Si and I-V characteristics of p-Si/n-ZnO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shampa Mondal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide (ZnO thin films were deposited on p-silicon (Si substrate from ammonium zincate bath following a chemical dipping technique called SILAR. Films in the thickness range 0.5-4.5 µm could be prepared by varying the number of dipping for a fixed concentration (0.125 M of zincate bath and fixed pH (11.00-11.10. Higher values of dipping produced nonadherent and poor quality films. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD indicates the formation of polycrystalline single phase ZnO with strong c-axis orientation. The structural characteristics of the films were found to be a sensitive function of film thickness. The degree of orientation was found to be a function of film thickness and a maximum was found at around 2.2 µm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM reveals the formation of sub-micrometer crystallites on silicon substrate. The coverage of crystallites (grains on substrate surface increases with number of dipping. Dense film containing grains distributed throughout the surface is obtained at large thicknesses. The ohmic nature of silver (Ag on ZnO and Aluminum (Al on p-Si was confirmed by I-V measurements. I-V characteristic of the p-Si/n-ZnO heterojunction was studied and rectification was observed. The maximum value of forward to reverse current ratio was ~15 at 3.0 V.

Preparation of ZnO film on p-Si and I-V characteristics of p-Si/n-ZnO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shampa Mondal

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Zinc oxide (ZnO thin films were deposited on p-silicon (Si substrate from ammonium zincate bath following a chemical dipping technique called SILAR. Films in the thickness range 0.5-4.5 µm could be prepared by varying the number of dipping for a fixed concentration (0.125 M of zincate bath and fixed pH (11.00-11.10. Higher values of dipping produced nonadherent and poor quality films. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD indicates the formation of polycrystalline single phase ZnO with strong c-axis orientation. The structural characteristics of the films were found to be a sensitive function of film thickness. The degree of orientation was found to be a function of film thickness and a maximum was found at around 2.2 µm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM reveals the formation of sub-micrometer crystallites on silicon substrate. The coverage of crystallites (grains on substrate surface increases with number of dipping. Dense film containing grains distributed throughout the surface is obtained at large thicknesses. The ohmic nature of silver (Ag on ZnO and Aluminum (Al on p-Si was confirmed by I-V measurements. I-V characteristic of the p-Si/n-ZnO heterojunction was studied and rectification was observed. The maximum value of forward to reverse current ratio was ~15 at 3.0 V.

Kinetic Study of Application of ZnO as a Photocatalyst in Heterogeneous Medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. J. Vora

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol over ZnO was carried out in the presence of light. Control experiments were carried out. The photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol was observed spectro-photmerically. The various parameters like concentrations of substrate, pH, amounts and band gaps of semiconductor, impact of light intensity, sensitizers and radical quenchers affected the kinetics of the degradation process. A probable mechanism for this process has been proposed.

Simple Preparation of ZnO Nano-layer by Sol-Gel Method as Active Electrode in P3HT/ZnO Heterojunction Solar Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Aprilia, Annisa; Herman, Hidayat, Rahmat

2010-10-01

Highly transparent undoped ZnO thin films have been prepared on glass and indium tin oxide substrates with simple process by sol-gel route and dip-coating deposition. Gel precursor of ZnO was prepared from zinc acetat dehydrate solution in methanol with the addition of trietylamine as stabilizing agent. Thin layer of gel precursor was prepared by dip coating and then followed by calcination at 400° C for 5 minute in air atmosphere. The thickness of the resulted ZnO thin film produced by ten times coating is about 150 nm. The films shows high transmittance larger than 98% in the visible region (400-800 nm). Absorption is observed in the UV region with absorption onset at about 390 nm indicating varying band gap between 3.18 eV until 3.23 eV depending on the number of coating layer. The AFM image shows that the films seems to be constructed from random stacking of nano-sized ZnO particle in the order of 50 nm. Among the prepared samples, the lowest resistivity is about 1.8×107 Ωm observed in the five-layer coating film. In order to fabricate solar cell structure, P3HT was deposited onto the ZnO thin film layer by spin casting technique and then followed by metal (Au) layer deposition by thermal evaporation. The formed solar cell has the inverted type solar cell with ITO/ZnO/P3HT/Au configuration. By the insertion ZnO layer, the photocurrent was improved by more than ten orders of magnitude in comparison to that of without ZnO layer. The measured photocurrent decreases at large number of coating layer which is supposed to be related with the current limitation by the effective carrier path length in ZnO layer.

Peptides for functionalization of InP semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Estephan, Elias; Saab, Marie-belle; Larroque, Christian; Martin, Marta; Olsson, Fredrik; Lourdudoss, Sebastian; Gergely, Csilla

2009-09-15

The challenge is to achieve high specificity in molecular sensing by proper functionalization of micro/nano-structured semiconductors by peptides that reveal specific recognition for these structures. Here we report on surface modification of the InP semiconductors by adhesion peptides produced by the phage display technique. An M13 bacteriophage library has been used to screen 10(10) different peptides against the InP(001) and the InP(111) surfaces to finally isolate specific peptides for each orientation of the InP. MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry has been employed to study real affinity of the peptide towards the InP surfaces. The peptides serve for controlled placement of biotin onto InP to bind then streptavidin. Our Atomic Force Microscopy study revealed a total surface coverage of molecules when the InP surface was functionalized by its specific biotinylated peptide (YAIKGPSHFRPS). Finally, fluorescence microscopy has been employed to demonstrate the preferential attachment of the peptide onto a micro-patterned InP surface. Use of substrate specific peptides could present an alternative solution for the problems encountered in the actually existing sensing methods and molecular self-assembly due to the unwanted unspecific interactions.

Two-step deposition of Al-doped ZnO on p-GaN to form ohmic contacts

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xi; Zhang, Guozhen; Wang, Xiao; Chen, Chao; Wu, Hao; Liu, Chang

2017-07-01

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited directly on p-GaN substrates by using a two-step deposition consisting of polymer assisted deposition (PAD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods. Ohmic contacts of the AZO on p-GaN have been formed. The lowest sheet resistance of the two-step prepared AZO films reached to 145 Ω/sq, and the specific contact resistance reduced to 1.47 × 10-2 Ω·cm2. Transmittance of the AZO films remained above 80% in the visible region. The combination of PAD and ALD technique can be used to prepare p-type ohmic contacts for optoelectronics.

Mixed Zn and O substitution of Co and Mn in ZnO

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino Miguel da Costa; Decoster, Stefan; Correia, João Guilherme; Amorim, Lígia Marina; da Silva, Manuel Ribeiro; Araújo, João Pedro; Vantomme, André

2011-01-01

The physical properties of an impurity atom in a semiconductor are primarily determined by the lattice site it occupies. In general, this occupancy can be correctly predicted based on chemical intuition, but not always. We report on one such exception in the dilute magnetic semiconductors Co- and Mn-doped ZnO, experimentally determining the lattice location of Co and Mn using $\\beta$-emission channeling from the decay of radioactive $^{61}$Co and $^{56}$Mn implanted at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Surprisingly, in addition to the majority substituting for Zn, we find up to 18% (27%) of the Co (Mn) atoms in O sites, which is virtually unaffected by thermal annealing up to 900 °C. We discuss how this anion site configuration, which had never been considered before for any transition metal in any metal oxide material, may in fact have a low formation energy. This suggests a change in paradigm regarding transition-metal incorporation in ZnO and possibly other oxides and wide-gap semiconductors.

Synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amezaga-Madrid, P.; Antunez-Flores, W.; Ledezma-Sillas, J.E.; Murillo-Ramirez, J.G.; Solis-Canto, O.; Vega-Becerra, O.E.; Martinez-Sanchez, R.; Miki-Yoshida, M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition. → Optimum substrate temperatures of 673 K and 623 K for Sc and V doped films. → Around one third of the dopants in solution were deposited into the films. → Crystallite and grain size decreased with the increase of dopant concentration. → Optical band gap increased from 3.29 to 3.32 eV for undoped to 7 Sc/Zn at. %. - Abstract: Many semiconductor oxides (ZnO, TiO 2 , SnO 2 ) when doped with a low percentage of non-magnetic (V, Sc) or magnetic 3d (Co, Mn, Ni, Fe) cation behave ferromagnetically. They have attracted a great deal of interest due to the integration of semiconducting and magnetic properties in a material. ZnO is one of the most promising materials to carry out these tasks in view of the fact that it is optically transparent and has n or p type conductivity. Here, we report the synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped zinc oxide thin films. ZnO based thin films with additions of V and Sc were deposited by the Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition method. V and Sc were incorporated separately in the precursor solution. The films were uniform, transparent and non-light scattering. The microstructure of the films was characterized by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Scanning Probe Microscopy. Average grain size and surface rms roughness were estimated by the measurement of Atomic Force Microscopy. The microstructure of doped ZnO thin films depended on the type and amount of dopant material incorporated. The optical properties were determined from specular reflectance and transmittance spectra. Results were analyzed to determine the optical constant and band gap of the films. An increase in the optical band gap with the content of Sc dopant was obtained.

Giant negative photoresistance of ZnO single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barzola-Quiquia, Jose; Esquinazi, Pablo [Division of Superconductivity and Magnetism, University of Leipzig (Germany); Heluani, Silvia [Laboratorio de Fisica del Solido, FCEyT, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, 4000 S. M. de Tucuman (Argentina); Villafuerte, Manuel [Dept. de Fisica, FCEyT, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman (Argentina); CONICET, Tucuman (Argentina); Poeppl, Andreas [Division of Magnetic Resonance of Complex Quantum Solids, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2011-07-01

ZnO is a wide band gap semiconductor exhibiting the largest charge-carrier mobility among oxides. ZnO is a material with potential applications for short-wavelength optoelectronic devices, as a blue light emitting diodes and in spintronics. In this contribution we have measured the temperature dependence (30 K < T < 300 K) of the electrical resistance of ZnO single crystals prepared by hydrothermal method in darkness and under the influence of light in the ultraviolet range. The resistance decreases several orders of magnitude at temperatures T < 200 K after illumination. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies under illumination reveal that the excitation of Li acceptor impurities is the origin for the giant negative photoresistance effect. Permanent photoresistance effect is also observed, which remains many hours after leaving the crystal in darkness.

Structure and magnetism of transition-metal implanted dilute magnetic semiconductors

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino; Temst, K; Araújo, JP; Wahl, U

The discovery of a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) in which ferromagnetism is carrier-mediated and persists above room temperature is a critical step towards the development of semiconductor-based spintronics. Among the many types of DMS materials which have been investigated, the current research interest can be narrowed down to two main classes of materials: (1) narrow-gap III-V semiconductors, mostly GaAs and InAs, doped with Mn; (2) wide-gap oxides and nitrides doped with 3d transition metals, mostly Mn- and Co-doped ZnO and Mn-doped GaN. With a number of interesting functionalities deriving from the carrier-mediated ferromagnetism and demonstrated in various proof-of-concept devices, Mn-doped GaAs has become, among DMS materials, one of the best candidates for technological application. However, despite major developments over the last 15 years, the maximum Curie temperature (185 K) remains well below room temperature. On the other hand, wide-gap DMS materials appear to exhibit ferromagnetic behavior...

Characterization of Mn doped ZnO nanopowder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlenker, Eva; Bakin, Andrey; Al-Suleiman, Mohamed; Wehmann, Hergo-Heinrich; Waag, Andreas [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, TU Braunschweig (Germany); Schmid, Herbert; Mader, Werner [Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, University Bonn (Germany); Bremers, Heiko; Hangleiter, Andreas [Institute of Applied Physics, TU Braunschweig (Germany)

2008-07-01

In the quest of materials for spintronic applications, diluted magnetic semiconductors recently attracted much attention. The main challenge is finding a ferromagnetic material with Curie temperature T{sub c}>300 K whose magnetic properties can be controlled electrically. The interest was particularly focused on Zn(TM)O since theoretical calculations predict that ZnO containing Mn could exhibit ferromagnetism with T{sub c} above room temperature. In the present study, the structural and magnetic properties of Mn doped ZnO nanopowder are investigated and compared to undoped ZnO crystals. Doping of ZnO with Mn results in increased lattice constants as revealed by XRD. However, an inhomogeneous distribution of the Mn dopants within the nanopowder was revealed by energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Magnetic properties are investigated by means of SQUID measurements on aggregates of powder particles as well as by MFM to study the behavior of single grains. The MFM image differs significantly from the topography as imaged by AFM and suggests the existence of long-ranging magnetic signals emerging from the sample.

Ferroelectric switching in epitaxial PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Juan; Salev, Pavel; Grigoriev, Alexei

As a wide-bandgap semiconductor, ZnO has gained substantial interest due to its favorable properties including high electron mobility, strong room-temperature luminescence, etc. The main obstacle of its application is the lack of reproducible and low-resistivity p-type ZnO. P-type doping of ZnO through the interface charge injection, which can be achieved by the polarization switching of ferroelectric films, is a tempting solution. We explored ferroelectric switching behavior of PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN heterostructures epitaxially grown on Sapphire substrates by RF sputtering. The electrical measurements of Pt/PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN ferroelectric-semiconductor capacitors revealed unusual behavior that is a combination of polarization switching and a diode I-V characteristics.

Simultaneous control of thermoelectric properties in p- and n-type materials by electric double-layer gating: New design for thermoelectric device

Science.gov (United States)

Takayanagi, Ryohei; Fujii, Takenori; Asamitsu, Atsushi

2015-05-01

We report a novel design of a thermoelectric device that can control the thermoelectric properties of p- and n-type materials simultaneously by electric double-layer gating. Here, p-type Cu2O and n-type ZnO were used as the positive and negative electrodes of the electric double-layer capacitor structure. When a gate voltage was applied between the two electrodes, holes and electrons accumulated on the surfaces of Cu2O and ZnO, respectively. The thermopower was measured by applying a thermal gradient along the accumulated layer on the electrodes. We demonstrate here that the accumulated layers worked as a p-n pair of the thermoelectric device.

Soil pH effects on the comparative toxicity of dissolved zinc, non-nano and nano ZnO to the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

Science.gov (United States)

Heggelund, Laura R; Diez-Ortiz, Maria; Lofts, Stephen; Lahive, Elma; Jurkschat, Kerstin; Wojnarowicz, Jacek; Cedergreen, Nina; Spurgeon, David; Svendsen, Claus

2014-08-01

To determine how soil properties influence nanoparticle (NP) fate, bioavailability and toxicity, this study compared the toxicity of nano zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), non-nano ZnO and ionic ZnCl2 to the earthworm Eisenia fetida in a natural soil at three pH levels. NP characterisation indicated that reaction with the soil media greatly controls ZnO properties. Three main conclusions were drawn. First that Zn toxicity, especially for reproduction, was influenced by pH for all Zn forms. This can be linked to the influence of pH on Zn dissolution. Secondly, that ZnO fate, toxicity and bioaccumulation were similar (including relationships with pH) for both ZnO forms, indicating the absence of NP-specific effects. Finally, earthworm Zn concentrations were higher in worms exposed to ZnO compared to ZnCl2, despite the greater toxicity of the ionic form. This observation suggests the importance of considering the relationship between uptake and toxicity in nanotoxicology studies.

Study on the intrinsic defects in ZnO by combing first-principle and thermodynamic calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Changmin; Liu, Tingyu; Chang, Qiuxiang

2015-11-01

In this paper, the intrinsic point defects in ZnO crystal have been studied by the approach that integrates first-principles, thermodynamic calculations and the contributions of vibrational entropy. With temperature increasing and oxygen partial pressure decreasing, the formation energies of oxygen vacancy (VO), zinc interstitial (Zni) and zinc anti-site (ZnO) are decreasing, while it increases for zinc vacancy (VZn), oxygen interstitial (Oi) and oxygen anti-site (OZn). They are more sensitive to temperature than oxygen partial pressure. There are two interesting phenomena. First, VO or VZn have the lowest formation energies for whole Fermi level at special environment condition (such as at T = 300K, about PO2 = 10-10atm or T = 1500K, about PO2 = 104atm) and intrinsic p-type doping of ZnO is possible by VZn at these special conditions. Second, VO as donors have lowest formation energy for all Fermi level at high temperature and low oxygen partial pressure (T = 1500K, PO2 = 10-10atm). According to our analysis, the VO could produce n-type doping in ZnO at these special conditions and change p-type ZnO to n-type ZnO at condition from low temperature and high oxygen partial pressure to high temperature and low oxygen partial pressure.

ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx semiconductor alloys as competent materials for opto-electronic and solar cell applications: a comparative analysis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Utsa Das; Partha P.Pal

2017-01-01

ZnO1-xTex ternary alloys have great potential to work as a photovoltaic (PV) absorber in solar cells.ZnO1-xSx is also a ZnO based alloy that have uses in solar cells.In this paper we report the comparative study of various parameters of ZnO1-xTex and ZnO1-xSx for selecting it to be a competent material for solar cell applications.The parameters are mainly being calculated using the well-known VCA (virtual crystal approximation) and VBAC (Valence Band Anti-Crossing) model.It was certainly being analysed that the incorporation of Te atoms produces a high band gap lower than S atoms in the host ZnO material.The spin-orbit splitting energy value of ZnO1-xTex was found to be higher than that of ZnO1-xSx.Beside this,the strain effects are also higher in ZnO1-xTex than ZnO1-xSx.The remarkable notifying result which the paper is reporting is that at a higher percentage of Te atoms in ZnO1-xTex,the spin-orbit splitting energy value rises above the band gap value,which signifies a very less internal carrier recombination that decreases the leakage current and increases the efficiency of the solar ceil.Moreover,it also covers a wide wavelength range compared to ZnO1-xSx.

A Designed Room Temperature Multilayered Magnetic Semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Bouma, Dinah Simone; Charilaou, Michalis; Bordel, Catherine; Duchin, Ryan; Barriga, Alexander; Farmer, Adam; Hellman, Frances; Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Team

2015-03-01

A room temperature magnetic semiconductor has been designed and fabricated by using an epitaxial antiferromagnet (NiO) grown in the (111) orientation, which gives surface uncompensated magnetism for an odd number of planes, layered with the lightly doped semiconductor Al-doped ZnO (AZO). Magnetization and Hall effect measurements of multilayers of NiO and AZO are presented for varying thickness of each. The magnetic properties vary as a function of the number of Ni planes in each NiO layer; an odd number of Ni planes yields on each NiO layer an uncompensated moment which is RKKY-coupled to the moments on adjacent NiO layers via the carriers in the AZO. This RKKY coupling oscillates with the AZO layer thickness, and it disappears entirely in samples where the AZO is replaced with undoped ZnO. The anomalous Hall effect data indicate that the carriers in the AZO are spin-polarized according to the direction of the applied field at both low temperature and room temperature. NiO/AZO multilayers are therefore a promising candidate for spintronic applications demanding a room-temperature semiconductor.

Effects of interface modification by H2O2 treatment on the electrical properties of n-type ZnO/p-type Si diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Guan-Ru; Lin, Yow-Jon; Chang, Hsing-Cheng; Chen, Ya-Hui

2012-01-01

The fabrication and detailed electrical properties of heterojunction diodes based on n-type ZnO and p-type Si were reported. The effect of interface modification by H 2 O 2 treatment on the electrical properties of n-type ZnO/p-type Si diodes was investigated. The n-type ZnO/p-type Si diode without H 2 O 2 treatment showed a poor rectifying behavior with an ideality factor (n) of 2.5 and high leakage, indicating that the interfacial ZnSi x O y layer influenced the electronic conduction through the device. However, the n-type ZnO/p-type Si diode with H 2 O 2 treatment showed a good rectifying behavior with n of 1.3 and low leakage. This is because the thin SiO x layer acts as a thermodynamically stable buffer layer to suppress interfacial reaction between ZnO and Si. In addition, the enhanced photo-responsivity can be interpreted by the device rectifying performance and interface passivation. - Highlights: ► The electrical properties of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction diodes were researched. ► The n-ZnO/p-Si diode without H 2 O 2 treatment showed a poor rectifying behavior. ► The n-ZnO/H 2 O 2 -treated p-Si diode showed a good rectifying behavior. ► The enhanced responsivity can be interpreted by the device rectifying performance.

Minority anion substitution by Ni in ZnO

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino Miguel da Costa; Correia, João Guilherme; Amorim, Lígia Marina; Silva, Daniel José; David-Bosne, Eric; Decoster, Stefan; da Silva, Manuel Ribeiro; Temst, Kristiaan; Vantomme, André

2013-01-01

We report on the lattice location of implanted Ni in ZnO using the $\\beta$− emission channeling technique. In addition to the majority substituting for the cation (Zn), a significant fraction of the Ni atoms occupy anion (O) sites. Since Ni is chemically more similar to Zn than it is to O, the observed O substitution is rather puzzling. We discuss these findings with respect to the general understanding of lattice location of dopants in compound semiconductors. In particular, we discuss potential implications on the magnetic behavior of transition metal doped dilute magnetic semiconductors.

Defect Characterization in Semiconductors with Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomisto, Filip

Positron annihilation spectroscopy is an experimental technique that allows the selective detection of vacancy defects in semiconductors, providing a means to both identify and quantify them. This chapter gives an introduction to the principles of the positron annihilation techniques and then discusses the physics of some interesting observations on vacancy defects related to growth and doping of semiconductors. Illustrative examples are selected from studies performed in silicon, III-nitrides, and ZnO.

White electroluminescence from ZnO nanorods/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes under reverse bias

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Lichun; Li, Qingshan; Qu, Chong; Zhang, Zhongjun; Huang, Ruizhi; Zhao, Fengzhou

2013-01-01

Heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on arrays of ZnO nanorods were fabricated on p-GaN films by the hydrothermal method. Without any phosphors, white-light electroluminescence (EL) from ZnO nanorods/p-GaN heterojunction LEDs operated at reverse breakdown bias was observed. The EL spectra are composed of an ultraviolet (UV) emission centered at 382 nm, a blue light located at 431 nm and a broadband yellow–green light at around 547 nm, which originated from band-edge emission in ZnO, the Mg acceptor levels in p-GaN and the deep-level states near the ZnO/GaN interface, respectively. The chromaticity coordinates of EL spectrum are very close to the (0.333, 0.333) of standard white light. The origin of these emissions has been discussed and the tunneling effect in the interface is probably the mechanism to explain EL emission. (paper)

Photocatalytic semiconductors synthesis, characterization, and environmental applications

CERN Document Server

Hernández-Ramírez, Aracely

2014-01-01

This critical volume examines the different methods used for the synthesis of a great number of photocatalysts, including TiO2, ZnO and other modified semiconductors, as well as characterization techniques used for determining the optical, structural and morphological properties of the semiconducting materials. Additionally, the authors discuss photoelectrochemical methods for determining the light activity of the photocatalytic semiconductors by means of measurement of properties such as band gap energy, flat band potential and kinetics of hole and electron transfer. Photocatalytic Semiconductors: Synthesis, Characterization and Environmental Applications provide an overview of the semiconductor materials from first- to third-generation photocatalysts and their applications in wastewater treatment and water disinfection. The book further presents economic and toxicological aspects in the production and application of photocatalytic materials.

Sputter deposited gallium doped ZnO for TCO applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietrich, Marc; Kronenberger, Achim; Polity, Angelika; Meyer, Bruno [I. Physikalisches Institut, Justus Liebig Universitaet Giessen (Germany); Blaesing, Juergen; Krost, Alois [FNW/IEP/AHE, Otto-von-Guericke Universitaet Magdeburg (Germany)

2010-07-01

Transparent conducting oxides to be used for flat panel or display applications should exhibit low electrical resistivity in line with a high optical transmission in the visible spectral range. Today indium-tin-oxide is the material which meets these requirements best. However, the limited availability of indium makes it useful to search for alternatives and ZnO doped with group III elements are promising candidates. While the Al doping in high concentrations causes problems due to the formation of insulating Al-oxides, Gallium related oxides are typically n-type conducting wide band gap semiconductors. Therefore we deposited Gallium doped ZnO thin films on quartz and sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering with a ZnO/Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}(3at%) composite target. The substrate temperature and the oxygen flow during the sputtering process were varied to optimise the layer properties. Introducing oxygen to the sputtering gas allowed to vary the resistivity of the films by three orders of magnitude from about 1 {omega}cm down to less than 1 m{omega}cm.

Potentiometric Titrations for Measuring the Capacitance of Colloidal Photodoped ZnO Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Brozek, Carl K; Hartstein, Kimberly H; Gamelin, Daniel R

2016-08-24

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals offer a unique opportunity to bridge molecular and bulk semiconductor redox phenomena. Here, potentiometric titration is demonstrated as a method for quantifying the Fermi levels and charging potentials of free-standing colloidal n-type ZnO nanocrystals possessing between 0 and 20 conduction-band electrons per nanocrystal, corresponding to carrier densities between 0 and 1.2 × 10(20) cm(-3). Potentiometric titration of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals has not been described previously, and little precedent exists for analogous potentiometric titration of any soluble reductants involving so many electrons. Linear changes in Fermi level vs charge-carrier density are observed for each ensemble of nanocrystals, with slopes that depend on the nanocrystal size. Analysis indicates that the ensemble nanocrystal capacitance is governed by classical surface electrical double layers, showing no evidence of quantum contributions. Systematic shifts in the Fermi level are also observed with specific changes in the identity of the charge-compensating countercation. As a simple and contactless alternative to more common thin-film-based voltammetric techniques, potentiometric titration offers a powerful new approach for quantifying the redox properties of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals.

Superior photocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and self-cleaning applications of Fly ash supported ZnO nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thirumalai, Kuppulingam; Balachandran, Subramanian [Department of Chemistry, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, 608 002, Tamil Nadu (India); Swaminathan, Meenakshisundaram, E-mail: chemres50@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, 608 002, Tamil Nadu (India); Nanomaterials Laboratory, International Research Centre, Kalasalingam Universty, Krihnankoil, 626126 (India)

2016-11-01

Ever growing research on modified semiconductor oxides made a significant progress in catalytic functional materials. In this article, we report the modification of ZnO photocatalyst by a simple hydrothermal decomposition method utilizing the cheaply available industrial waste fly ash. This modified Fly ash-ZnO photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The XRD pattern indicates the presence of fly ash components and the hexagonal wurtzite structured ZnO. TEM images reveal well defined nanorod like structure. Reduction of photoluminescence intensity of Fly ash-ZnO at 418 nm, when compared to, prepared ZnO, indicates the suppression of recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pair by loaded Fly ash on ZnO. Fly ash-ZnO exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of azo dyes Reactive Orange 4, Rhodamine-B and Trypan Blue. This catalyst shows higher electrocatalytic activity than ZnO in the oxidation of methanol. Significant hydrophobicity of Fly ash-ZnO reveals its self cleaning property. - Highlights: • The degradation efficiency of Fly ash-ZnO under UV and Solar irradiation is greater than prepared ZnO and TiO{sub 2}‒P25. • Electrocatalytic activity of Fly ash-ZnO exhibits enhanced current production by methanol oxidation. • Fly ash-ZnO shows the high hydrophobicity than ZnO, it can be used as a self cleaning material for industrial applications.

Control of ZnO Nanorod Defects to Enhance Carrier Transportation in p-Cu₂O/i-ZnO Nanorods/n-IGZO Heterojunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Nguyen Huu; Trinh, Le Thi Tuyet; Mung, Nguyen Thi; Loan, Phan Thi Kieu; Tuan, Dao Anh; Truong, Nguyen Huu; Tran, Cao Vinh; Hung, Le Vu Tuan

2017-01-01

The p-Cu₂O/i-ZnO nanorods/n-IGZO heterojunctions were fabricated by electrochemical and sputtering method. ZnO nanorods were grown on conductive indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin film and then p-Cu₂O layer was deposited on ZnO nanorods to form the heterojunction. ZnO nanorods play an important role in carrier transport mechanisms and performance of the junction. The changing of defects in ZnO nanorods by annealing samples in air and vacuum have studied. The XRD, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and FTIR were used to study about structure, and defects in ZnO nanorods. The SEM, i–V characteristics methods were also used to define structure, electrical properties of the heterojunctions layers. The results show that the defects in ZnO nanorods affected remarkably on performance of heterojunctions of solar cells.

Annealing Temperature Dependence of ZnO Nanostructures Grown by Facile Chemical Bath Deposition for EGFET pH Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Bazilah Rosli, Aimi; Awang, Zaiki; Sobihana Shariffudin, Shafinaz; Herman, Sukreen Hana

2018-03-01

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanostructures were deposited using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique in water bath at 95 °C for 4 h. Post-deposition heat treatment in air ambient at various temperature ranging from 200-600 °C for 30 min was applied in order to enhance the electrical properties of ZnO nanostructures as the sensing membrane of extended-gate field effect transistor (EGFET) pH sensor. The as-deposited sample was prepared for comparison. The samples were characterized in terms of physical and sensing properties. FESEM images showed that scattered ZnO nanorods were formed for the as-deposited sample, and the morphology of the ZnO nanorods changed to ZnO nanoflowers when the heat treatment was applied from 200-600 °C. For sensing properties, the samples heated at 300 °C showed the higher sensitivity which was 39.9 mV/pH with the linearity of 0.9792. The sensing properties was increased with the increasing annealing treatment temperature up to 300 °C before decreased drastically.

Determination of chemical state of Al doping element in ZnO layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csik, A.; Toth, J.; Lovics, R.; Takats, V.; Hakl, J.; Vad, K.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Transparent and conducting oxides (TCO) thin films are very important from the scientific and technological point of view. The coexistence of electrical conductivity and optical transparency in these materials makes it possible to use them in modern technologies: transparent electrodes for flat panel displays and photovoltaic cells, low emissivity windows, transparent thin films transistors, light emitting diodes. One of the important TCO semiconductors is the impurity-doped zinc-oxide (ZnO) layer, for example aluminium doped zinc-oxide layer (AZO), due to its unique physical and chemical properties. It has wide band gap (3.44 eV) and large exciton binding energy (60 meV). ZnO thin layers have a great interest for potential applications in optical and optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, high quality single crystal ZnO wafers has already been available as a result of new developments in ZnO growth technologies with the capability to scale up wafer size, which is an important factor for increasing efficiency of solar cells. Nonetheless, in order to enable the use of ZnO layers with enhanced electrical properties, higher conductivities can be obtained by doping with donor elements such as aluminium, gallium, indium, boron or fluorine. Investigation of p-type doping possibilities, diffusion processes and thermal stability of these layers are in the focus of interest in the interpretation of their optical and electrical properties, and the prediction of their lifetime. In our SNMS/SIMS-XPS laboratory, experiments on TCO layered structures were carried on. Depth profile and chemical state analyses of ZnO/AlO/ZnO layered structures were performed by Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The samples were produced by atomic layer deposition technique with the following layered structure: between a few hundred atomic layers of ZnO was an AlO atomic layer. The SNMS was used for depth

p-Type semiconducting nickel oxide as an efficiency-enhancing anodal interfacial layer in bulk heterojunction solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, Michael D; Buchholz, Donald B; Marks, Tobin J; Chang, Robert P. H.

2014-11-25

The present invention, in one aspect, relates to a solar cell. In one embodiment, the solar cell includes an anode, a p-type semiconductor layer formed on the anode, and an active organic layer formed on the p-type semiconductor layer, where the active organic layer has an electron-donating organic material and an electron-accepting organic material.

Influence of semiconductor surface preparation on photoelectric properties of Al-Zn{sub 3}P{sub 2} contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirowska, Nella [Institute of Physics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland)]. E-mail: nella.mirowska@pwr.wroc.pl; Misiewicz, Jan [Institute of Physics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland)

2006-06-15

The Schottky barriers formed by Al on Zn{sub 3}P{sub 2} p-type crystals have been studied. Three types of crystals (monocrystal, large-grain crystal and polycrystal) were used for device fabrication. The samples were separated in two groups according to the type of structure and the methods of surface preparation. The samples from the first group were different in structure (monocrystal, large-grain crystal and polycrystals) but prepared in the same way. Three polycrystals with differently prepared surfaces were collected in the second group. Two samples from this group were also annealed in open air at 523 K for 24 h. Measurements of photovoltaic effect at room temperature were carried out to test the impact of surface preparation on photoelectric properties of Al-Zn{sub 3}P{sub 2} contacts. Substantial differences in shape and intensity of PV signal were observed depending on whether the surface of semiconductor was mechanically polished, chemically etched or/and heat treated. The height of potential barrier, {phi} {sub B}, and optical transitions in semiconductor were determined. The value of {phi} {sub B} changed from 0.747 to 0.767 eV for unheated samples and from 0.724 to 0.755 eV for the heated ones. The quality of semiconductor surface seems to have an essential influence on spectral characteristics of Al-Zn{sub 3}P{sub 2} junctions, especially in the case of polycrystals. It appeared that thorough preliminary mechanical polishing of crystals surface provides quite good photoelectric properties of Al-Zn{sub 3}P{sub 2} junctions.

Appraisal on Textured Grain Growth and Photoconductivity of ZnO Thin Film SILAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepu Thomas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ZnO thin films were prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR method. The textured grain growth along c-axis in pure ZnO thin films and doped with Sn was studied. The structural analysis of the thin films was done by X-ray diffraction and surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Textured grain growth of the samples was measured by comparing the peak intensities. Textured grain growth and photo current in ZnO thin films were found to be enhanced by doping with Sn. ZnO thin film having good crystallinity with preferential (002 orientation is a semiconductor with photonic properties of potential benefit to biophotonics. From energy dispersive X-ray analysis, it is inferred that oxygen vacancy creation is responsible for the enhanced textured grain growth in ZnO thin films.

Gate-Tunable Spin Exchange Interactions and Inversion of Magnetoresistance in Single Ferromagnetic ZnO Nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Modepalli, Vijayakumar; Jin, Mi-Jin; Park, Jungmin; Jo, Junhyeon; Kim, Ji-Hyun; Baik, Jeong Min; Seo, Changwon; Kim, Jeongyong; Yoo, Jung-Woo

2016-04-26

Electrical control of ferromagnetism in semiconductor nanostructures offers the promise of nonvolatile functionality in future semiconductor spintronics. Here, we demonstrate a dramatic gate-induced change of ferromagnetism in ZnO nanowire (NW) field-effect transistors (FETs). Ferromagnetism in our ZnO NWs arose from oxygen vacancies, which constitute deep levels hosting unpaired electron spins. The magnetic transition temperature of the studied ZnO NWs was estimated to be well above room temperature. The in situ UV confocal photoluminescence (PL) study confirmed oxygen vacancy mediated ferromagnetism in the studied ZnO NW FET devices. Both the estimated carrier concentration and temperature-dependent conductivity reveal the studied ZnO NWs are at the crossover of the metal-insulator transition. In particular, gate-induced modulation of the carrier concentration in the ZnO NW FET significantly alters carrier-mediated exchange interactions, which causes even inversion of magnetoresistance (MR) from negative to positive values. Upon sweeping the gate bias from -40 to +50 V, the MRs estimated at 2 K and 2 T were changed from -11.3% to +4.1%. Detailed analysis on the gate-dependent MR behavior clearly showed enhanced spin splitting energy with increasing carrier concentration. Gate-voltage-dependent PL spectra of an individual NW device confirmed the localization of oxygen vacancy-induced spins, indicating that gate-tunable indirect exchange coupling between localized magnetic moments played an important role in the remarkable change of the MR.

In2Ga2ZnO7 oxide semiconductor based charge trap device for NAND flash memory

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Eun Suk; Kim, Jun Shik; Jeon, Seok Min; Lee, Seung Jun; Jang, Younjin; Cho, Deok-Yong; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2018-04-01

The programming characteristics of charge trap flash memory device adopting amorphous In2Ga2ZnO7 (a-IGZO) oxide semiconductors as channel layer were evaluated. Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and RF-sputtering processes were used to grow a 45 nm thick a-IGZO layer on a 20 nm thick SiO2 (blocking oxide)/p++-Si (control gate) substrate, where 3 nm thick atomic layer deposited Al2O3 (tunneling oxide) and 5 nm thick low-pressure CVD Si3N4 (charge trap) layers were intervened between the a-IGZO and substrate. Despite the identical stoichiometry and other physicochemical properties of the MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, a much faster programming speed of MOCVD a-IGZO was observed. A comparable amount of oxygen vacancies was found in both MOCVD and sputtered a-IGZO, confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and bias-illumination-instability test measurements. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed a higher Fermi level (E F) of the MOCVD a-IGZO (∼0.3 eV) film than that of the sputtered a-IGZO, which could be ascribed to the higher hydrogen concentration in the MOCVD a-IGZO film. Since the programming in a flash memory device is governed by the tunneling of electrons from the channel to charge trapping layer, the faster programming performance could be the result of a higher E F of MOCVD a-IGZO.

Heavy lithium-doped ZnO thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

1. Introduction. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor with a wide and .... tal structure with preferred orientation along (0 0 2). ... This shift to higher angles could be attributed to residual ... segregated at the grain boundaries and they suppress the.

Photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin drug in water using ZnO nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Kemary, Maged, E-mail: elkemary@yahoo.co [Photo- and Nanochemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516 Kafr ElSheikh (Egypt); El-Shamy, Hany; El-Mehasseb, Ibrahim [Photo- and Nanochemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516 Kafr ElSheikh (Egypt)

2010-12-15

We report the synthesis of nanostructure ZnO semiconductor with {approx}2.1 nm diameter using a chemical precipitation method. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis and fluorescence techniques. The absorption spectra exhibit a sharp absorption edge at {approx}334 nm corresponding to band gap of {approx}3.7 eV. The fluorescence spectra displayed a near-band-edge ultraviolet excitonic emission at {approx}410 nm and a green emission peak at {approx}525 nm, due to a transition of a photo-generated electron from the conduction band to a deeply trapped hole. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared ZnO nanoparticles has been investigated for the degradation of ciprofloxacin drug under UV light irradiation in aqueous solutions of different pH values. The results showed that the photocatalytic degradation process is effective at pH 7 and 10, but it is rather slow at pH 4. Higher degradation efficiency ({approx}50%) of the drug was observed at pH 10 after 60 min. Photodegradation of the drug follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics.

Identification of substitutional Li in n-type ZnO and its role as an acceptor

Science.gov (United States)

Johansen, K. M.; Zubiaga, A.; Makkonen, I.; Tuomisto, F.; Neuvonen, P. T.; Knutsen, K. E.; Monakhov, E. V.; Kuznetsov, A. Yu.; Svensson, B. G.

2011-06-01

Monocrystalline n-type zinc oxide (ZnO) samples prepared by different techniques and containing various amounts of lithium (Li) have been studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry. A distinct PAS signature of negatively charged Li atoms occupying a Zn-site (LiZn-), so-called substitutional Li, is identified and thus enables a quantitative determination of the content of LiZn. In hydrothermally grown samples with a total Li concentration of ~2×1017cm-3,LiZn is found to prevail strongly, with only minor influence, by other possible configurations of Li. Also in melt grown samples doped with Li to a total concentration as high as 1.5×1019cm-3, a considerable fraction of the Li atoms (at least 20%) is shown to reside on the Zn-site, but despite the corresponding absolute acceptor concentration of ⩾(2-3)×1018cm-3, the samples did not exhibit any detectable p-type conductivity. The presence of LiZn is demonstrated to account for the systematic difference in positron lifetime of 10-15 ps between Li-rich and Li-lean ZnO materials as found in the literature, but further work is needed to fully elucidate the role of residual hydrogen impurities and intrinsic open volume defects.

P -type transparent conducting oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Kelvin H L; Xi, Kai; Blamire, Mark G; Egdell, Russell G

2016-01-01

Transparent conducting oxides constitute a unique class of materials combining properties of electrical conductivity and optical transparency in a single material. They are needed for a wide range of applications including solar cells, flat panel displays, touch screens, light emitting diodes and transparent electronics. Most of the commercially available TCOs are n -type, such as Sn doped In 2 O 3 , Al doped ZnO, and F doped SnO 2 . However, the development of efficient p -type TCOs remains an outstanding challenge. This challenge is thought to be due to the localized nature of the O 2 p derived valence band which leads to difficulty in introducing shallow acceptors and large hole effective masses. In 1997 Hosono and co-workers (1997 Nature 389 939) proposed the concept of ‘chemical modulation of the valence band’ to mitigate this problem using hybridization of O 2 p orbitals with close-shell Cu 3 d 10 orbitals. This work has sparked tremendous interest in designing p -TCO materials together with deep understanding the underlying materials physics. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive review on traditional and recently emergent p -TCOs, including Cu + -based delafossites, layered oxychalcogenides, nd 6 spinel oxides, Cr 3+ -based oxides (3 d 3 ) and post-transition metal oxides with lone pair state (ns 2 ). We will focus our discussions on the basic materials physics of these materials in terms of electronic structures, doping and defect properties for p -type conductivity and optical properties. Device applications based on p -TCOs for transparent p – n junctions will also be briefly discussed. (topical review)

Hydrothermal temperature effect on crystal structures, optical properties and electrical conductivity of ZnO nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Dhafina, Wan Almaz; Salleh, Hasiah; Daud, Mohd Zalani; Ghazali, Mohd Sabri Mohd; Ghazali, Salmah Mohd

2017-09-01

ZnO is an wide direct band gap semiconductor and possess rich family of nanostructures which turned to be a key role in the nanotechnology field of applications. Hydrothermal method was proven to be simple, robust and low cost among the reported methods to synthesize ZnO nanostructures. In this work, the properties of ZnO nanostructures were altered by varying temperatures of hydrothermal process. The changes in term of morphological, crystal structures, optical properties and electrical conductivity were investigated. A drastic change of ZnO nanostructures morphology and decreases of 002 diffraction peak were observed as the hydrothermal temperature increased. The band gap of samples decreased as the size of ZnO nanostructure increased, whereas the electrical conductivity had no influence on the band gap value but more on the morphology of ZnO nanostructures instead.

Photovoltaic device on a single ZnO nanowire p–n homojunction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Hak Dong; Zakirov, Anvar S; Yuldashev, Shavkat U; Kang, Tae Won; Ahn, Chi Won; Yeo, Yung Kee

2012-01-01

A photovoltaic device was successfully grown solely based on the single ZnO p–n homojunction nanowire. The ZnO nanowire p–n diode consists of an as-grown n-type segment and an in situ arsenic-doped p-type segment. This p–n homojunction acts as a good photovoltaic cell, producing a photocurrent almost 45 times larger than the dark current under reverse-biased conditions. Our results demonstrate that the present ZnO p–n homojunction nanowire can be used as a self-powered ultraviolet photodetector as well as a photovoltaic cell, which can also be used as an ultralow electrical power source for nanoscale electronic, optoelectronic and medical devices. (paper)

TiO2-ITO and TiO2-ZnO nanocomposites: application on water treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bessais B.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available One of the most promising ideas to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiO2 is to couple this photocatalyst with other semiconductors. In this work, we report on the development of photo-catalytic properties of two types of composites based on TiO2 – ITO (Indium Tin Oxide and TiO2 – ZnO deposited on conventional ceramic substrates. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD and transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM. The photo-catalytic test was carried out under UV light in order to reduce/oxidize a typical textile dye (Cibacron Yellow. The experiment was carried out in a bench scale reactor using a solution having a known initial dye concentration. After optimization, we found that both nanocomposites exhibit better photocatalytic activity compared to the standard photocatalyst P25 TiO2.

Arsenic doped p-type zinc oxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Fung, S.; To, C. K.; Yang, B.; Beling, C. D.; Ling, C. C.; Zhong, Y. C.; Wong, K. S.; Xie, Z.; Brauer, G.; Skorupa, W.; Anwand, W.

2009-01-01

As-doped ZnO films were grown by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. As the substrate temperature during growth was raised above ∼400 deg. C, the films changed from n type to p type. Hole concentration and mobility of ∼6x10 17 cm -3 and ∼6 cm 2 V -1 s -1 were achieved. The ZnO films were studied by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature photoluminescence (PL), and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The results were consistent with the As Zn -2V Zn shallow acceptor model proposed by Limpijumnong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 155504 (2004)]. The results of the XPS, PL, PAS, and thermal studies lead us to suggest a comprehensive picture of the As-related shallow acceptor formation.

Arsenic doped p-type zinc oxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, J. C.; Zhu, C. Y.; Fung, S.; Zhong, Y. C.; Wong, K. S.; Xie, Z.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Skorupa, W.; To, C. K.; Yang, B.; Beling, C. D.; Ling, C. C.

2009-10-01

As-doped ZnO films were grown by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. As the substrate temperature during growth was raised above ˜400 °C, the films changed from n type to p type. Hole concentration and mobility of ˜6×1017 cm-3 and ˜6 cm2 V-1 s-1 were achieved. The ZnO films were studied by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature photoluminescence (PL), and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The results were consistent with the AsZn-2VZn shallow acceptor model proposed by Limpijumnong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 155504 (2004)]. The results of the XPS, PL, PAS, and thermal studies lead us to suggest a comprehensive picture of the As-related shallow acceptor formation.

Implanted ZnO thin films: Microstructure, electrical and electronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.; Metson, J.; Evans, P.J.; Kinsey, R.; Bhattacharyya, D.

2007-01-01

Magnetron sputtered polycrystalline ZnO thin films were implanted using Al, Ag, Sn, Sb and codoped with TiN in order to improve the conductivity and to attempt to achieve p-type behaviour. Structural and electrical properties of the implanted ZnO thin films were examined with X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conductivity measurements. Depth profiles of the implanted elements varied with the implant species. Implantation causes a partial amorphisation of the crystalline structure and decreases the effective grain size of the films. One of the findings is the improvement, as a consequence of implantation, in the conductivity of initially poorly conductive samples. Heavy doping may help for the conversion of conduction type of ZnO thin films. Annealing in vacuum mitigated structural damage and stress caused by implantation, and improved the conductivity of the implanted ZnO thin films

Red luminescence from hydrothermally synthesized Eu-doped ZnO ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

turally characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy ... II–VI compound semiconductor with large exciton binding .... ions occupy a site with inversion symmetry and 617 nm ... TEM image of Eu-doped ZnO nanoparticles with (a) 1⋅2 at. .... Jacquier B, Lebrasseur E, Guy S, Belarouci A and Menchini F.

Are Fe and Co implanted ZnO and III-nitride semiconductors magnetic?

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2081284; Bharuth-Ram, Krish

The chemical nature, lattice site locations and magnetic behaviour of Fe and/or Co ions implanted in nitrides (GaN, AlN, and InN) and in ZnO have been investigated using Mössbauer spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Mössbauer data on nitride and $^{56}$Fe pre-implanted ZnO samples were obtained from emission Mössbauer spectroscopy (eMS) measurements at the ISOLDE facility, CERN, following the implantation of radioactive $^{57}$Mn$^{*}$ which $\\beta$$^{-}$decays to the 14.4 keV Mössbauer state of $^{57}$Fe. In addition, conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) data were collected on ZnO single crystals co-implanted with $^{57}$Fe + $^{56}$Fe and $^{57}$Fe + $^{59}$Co ions in a box profile. Emission Mössbauer spectra obtained for GaN and AlN reveal magnetic structure in the ‘wings’ assigned to high spin Fe$^{3+}$ weakly coupled to the lattice showing spin-lattice relaxation effects. The observed spin-relaxation rate (τ$^{-1}$) closely follows a ${T}^{2}$ temperat...

Boron doped nanostructure ZnO films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karakaya, Seniye, E-mail: seniyek@ogu.edu.tr; Ozbas, Omer

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Nanostructure undoped and boron doped ZnO films were deposited by USP technique. • Influences of doping on the surface and optical properties of the ZnO films were investigated. • XRD spectra of the films exhibited a variation in crystalline quality depending on the B content. - Abstract: ZnO is an II–VI compound semiconductor with a wide direct band gap of 3.3 eV at room temperature. Doped with group III elements (B, Al or Ga), it becomes an attractive candidate to replace tin oxide (SnO{sub 2}) or indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent conducting electrodes in solar cell devices and flat panel display due to competitive electrical and optical properties. In this work, ZnO and boron doped ZnO (ZnO:B) films have been deposited onto glass substrates at 350 ± 5 °C by a cost-efficient ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. The optical, structural, morphological and electrical properties of nanostructure undoped and ZnO:B films have been investigated. Electrical resistivity of films has been analyzed by four-probe technique. Optical properties and thicknesses of the films have been examined in the wavelength range 1200–1600 nm by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. The optical constants (refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k)) and the thicknesses of the films have been fitted according to Cauchy model. The optical method has been used to determine the band gap value of the films. Transmission spectra have been taken by UV spectrophotometer. It is found that both ZnO and ZnO:B films have high average optical transmission (≥80%). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that the obtained ZnO has a hexagonal wurtzite type structure. The morphological properties of the films were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface morphology of the nanostructure films is found to depend on the concentration of B. As a result, ZnO:B films are promising contender for their potential use as transparent window layer and

Linear and nonlinear intraband optical properties of ZnO quantum dots embedded in SiO2 matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepti Maikhuri

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we investigate some optical properties of semiconductor ZnO spherical quantum dot embedded in an amorphous SiO2 dielectric matrix. Using the framework of effective mass approximation, we have studied intraband S-P, and P-D transitions in a singly charged spherical ZnO quantum dot. The optical properties are investigated in terms of the linear and nonlinear photoabsorption coefficient, the change in refractive index, and the third order nonlinear susceptibility and oscillator strengths. Using the parabolic confinement potential of electron in the dot these parameters are studied with the variation of the dot size, and the energy and intensity of incident radiation. The photoionization cross sections are also obtained for the different dot radii from the initial ground state of the dot. It is found that dot size, confinement potential, and incident radiation intensity affects intraband optical properties of the dot significantly.

AuNPs Hybrid Black ZnO Nanorods Made by a Sol-Gel Method for Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyan Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A highly sensitive self-powered humidity sensor has been realized from AuNPs hybrid black zinc oxide (ZnO nanorods prepared through a sol-gel method. XRD pattern reveals that both ZnO and ZnO/AuNPs exhibit a wurtzite structure. ZnO/AuNPs nanorods grow in a vertical alignment, which possesses high uniformity and forms dense arrays with a smaller diameter than that of ZnO nanoparticles. All ZnO/AuNPs and pure black ZnO show lower band gap energy than the typically reported 3.34 eV of pure ZnO. Furthermore, the band gap of ZnO/AuNPs nanocomposites is effectively influenced by the amount of AuNPs. The humidity sensing tests clearly prove that all the ZnO/AuNPs humidity sensors exhibit much higher response than that of ZnO sensors, and the sensitivity of such ZnO/AuNPs nanorods (6 mL AuNPs display a change three orders higher than that of pure ZnO with relative humidity (RH ranging from 11% to 95% at room temperature. The response and recovery time of the ZnO/AuNPs are 5.6 s and 32.4 s, respectively. This study of the construction of semiconductor/noble metal sensors provides a rational way to control the morphology of semiconductor nanomaterials and to design a humidity sensor with high performance.

Studies on intrinsic defects related to Zn vacancy in ZnO nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, V.P.; Das, D.; Rath, Chandana

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Williamson–Hall analysis of ZnO indicates strain in the lattice and size is of 20 nm. ► PL shows a broad emission peak in visible range due to native defects. ► Raman active modes corresponding to P6 3 mc and a few additional modes are observed. ► FTIR detects few local vibrational modes of hydrogen attached to zinc vacancies. ► V Zn -H and Zn + O divacancies are confirmed by PAS. -- Abstract: ZnO being a well known optoelectronic semiconductor, investigations related to the defects are very promising. In this report, we have attempted to detect the defects in ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by the conventional coprecipitation route using various spectroscopic techniques. The broad emission peak observed in photoluminescence spectrum and the non zero slope in Williamson–Hall analysis indicate the defects induced strain in the ZnO lattice. A few additional modes observed in Raman spectrum could be due to the breakdown of the translation symmetry of the lattice caused by defects and/or impurities. The presence of impurities can be ruled out as XRD pattern shows pure wurtzite structure. The presence of the vibrational band related to the Zn vacancies (V Zn ), unintentional hydrogen dopants and their complex defects confirm the defects in ZnO lattice. Positron life time components τ 1 and τ 2 additionally support V Zn attached to hydrogen and to a cluster of Zn and O di-vacancies respectively.

Co-contribution of hydrogen impurities and native defects might be the answer for the n-type conductivity in ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Wu-Wei; Cho, Sunglae; Wang, Ming-Song; Dung, Dang Duc

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Native defects cannot explain large increase of resistance of the sample after 200 °C-annealing. • Native defects cannot explain changes of carrier concentration being in range of few orders lower than for stoichiometry. • Above two important phenomena can be explained by H-related defects. • n-type conductivity in ZnO cannot be solely ascribed to H-defects or native defects, both could be contributor. • The contribution of CH_x to the majority of n-type conductivity was ruled out. - Abstract: We reinvestigated the origin of n-type conductivity in the unintentionally-doped ZnO. 1000 °C-annealed sample was free of H- and C-related impurities and still demonstrated strong conductivity revealing the significant contribution of native defects to the n-type conductivity of ZnO. However, it is hydrogen impurities, rather than native defects, that can only explain the increase of sample resistivity after annealing in Ar at 200 °C and the small difference in the variation of carrier density upon considerable changes of the stoichiometry of sample. In this regard, we proposed that co-contribution of hydrogen impurities and native defects might be the answer for the n-type conductivity in ZnO in general, and the hydrogen impurities probably are the preferential origin responsible for the strong conductivity in ZnO if they exist substantially in the sample.

Co-contribution of hydrogen impurities and native defects might be the answer for the n-type conductivity in ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Wu-Wei, E-mail: wfeng@cugb.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Cho, Sunglae, E-mail: slcho@ulsan.ac.kr [Department of Physics, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 680-749 (Korea, Republic of); Wang, Ming-Song [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Dung, Dang Duc [Department of General Physics, School of Engineering Physics, Ha Noi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Ha Noi (Viet Nam)

2016-01-28

Highlights: • Native defects cannot explain large increase of resistance of the sample after 200 °C-annealing. • Native defects cannot explain changes of carrier concentration being in range of few orders lower than for stoichiometry. • Above two important phenomena can be explained by H-related defects. • n-type conductivity in ZnO cannot be solely ascribed to H-defects or native defects, both could be contributor. • The contribution of CH{sub x} to the majority of n-type conductivity was ruled out. - Abstract: We reinvestigated the origin of n-type conductivity in the unintentionally-doped ZnO. 1000 °C-annealed sample was free of H- and C-related impurities and still demonstrated strong conductivity revealing the significant contribution of native defects to the n-type conductivity of ZnO. However, it is hydrogen impurities, rather than native defects, that can only explain the increase of sample resistivity after annealing in Ar at 200 °C and the small difference in the variation of carrier density upon considerable changes of the stoichiometry of sample. In this regard, we proposed that co-contribution of hydrogen impurities and native defects might be the answer for the n-type conductivity in ZnO in general, and the hydrogen impurities probably are the preferential origin responsible for the strong conductivity in ZnO if they exist substantially in the sample.

Exploring the potential of laser assisted flow deposition grown ZnO for photovoltaic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigues, J., E-mail: joana.catarina@ua.pt [Departamento de Física & I3N, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Cerqueira, A.F.R.; Sousa, M.G.; Santos, N.F. [Departamento de Física & I3N, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Pimentel, A.; Fortunato, E. [CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Cunha, A.F. da; Monteiro, T.; Costa, F.M. [Departamento de Física & I3N, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal)

2016-07-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a widely studied wide band gap semiconductor with applications in several fields, namely to enhance solar cells efficiency. Its ability to be grown in a wide variety of nanostructured morphologies, allowing the designing of the surface area architecture constitutes an important advantage over other semiconductors. Laser assisted flow deposition (LAFD) is a recently developed growth method, based on a vapour-solid mechanism, which proved to be a powerful approach in the production of ZnO micro/nanostructures with different morphologies as well as high crystallinity and optical quality. In the present work we report the use of the LAFD technique to grow functional ZnO nanostructures (nanoparticles and tetrapods) working as nano templates to improve the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) efficiency. The structural and morphological characterization of the as-grown ZnO crystals were performed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, respectively, and the optical quality was assessed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. DSSCs were produced using a combination of these nanostructures, which were subsequently sensitized with N719 dye. An efficiency of ∼3% was achieved under simulated AM 1.5 illumination conditions for a dye loading time of 1 h. - Highlights: • Laser assisted flow deposition proved to be an efficient technique to produce high quality ZnO. • Active layer formed by an interconnected network of tetrapods and a small amount of nanoparticles. • Efficiency of ∼3% obtained under simulated AM 1.5 illumination conditions.

Method to quantify the delocalization of electronic states in amorphous semiconductors and its application to assessing charge carrier mobility of p -type amorphous oxide semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

de Jamblinne de Meux, A.; Pourtois, G.; Genoe, J.; Heremans, P.

2018-01-01

Amorphous semiconductors are usually characterized by a low charge carrier mobility, essentially related to their lack of long-range order. The development of such material with higher charge carrier mobility is hence challenging. Part of the issue comes from the difficulty encountered by first-principles simulations to evaluate concepts such as the electron effective mass for disordered systems since the absence of periodicity induced by the disorder precludes the use of common concepts derived from condensed matter physics. In this paper, we propose a methodology based on first-principles simulations that partially solves this problem, by quantifying the degree of delocalization of a wave function and of the connectivity between the atomic sites within this electronic state. We validate the robustness of the proposed formalism on crystalline and molecular systems and extend the insights gained to disordered/amorphous InGaZnO4 and Si. We also explore the properties of p -type oxide semiconductor candidates recently reported to have a low effective mass in their crystalline phases [G. Hautier et al., Nat. Commun. 4, 2292 (2013), 10.1038/ncomms3292]. Although in their amorphous phase none of the candidates present a valence band with delocalization properties matching those found in the conduction band of amorphous InGaZnO4, three of the seven analyzed materials show some potential. The most promising candidate, K2Sn2O3 , is expected to possess in its amorphous phase a slightly higher hole mobility than the electron mobility in amorphous silicon.

ZnO Thin Film Electronics for More than Displays

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, Jose Israel

Zinc oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) are investigated in this work for large-area electronic applications outside of display technology. A constant pressure, constant flow, showerhead, plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process has been developed to fabricate high mobility TFTs and circuits on rigid and flexible substrates at 200 °C. ZnO films and resulting devices prepared by PEALD and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) have been compared. Both PEALD and PLD ZnO films result in densely packed, polycrystalline ZnO thin films that were used to make high performance devices. PEALD ZnO TFTs deposited at 300 °C have a field-effect mobility of ˜ 40 cm2/V-s (and > 20 cm2/V-S deposited at 200 °C). PLD ZnO TFTs, annealed at 400 °C, have a field-effect mobility of > 60 cm2/V-s (and up to 100 cm2/V-s). Devices, prepared by either technique, show high gamma-ray radiation tolerance of up to 100 Mrad(SiO2) with only a small radiation-induced threshold voltage shift (VT ˜ -1.5 V). Electrical biasing during irradiation showed no enhanced radiation-induced effects. The study of the radiation effects as a function of material stack thicknesses revealed the majority of the radiation-induced charge collection happens at the semiconductor-passivation interface. A simple sheet-charge model at that interface can describe the radiation-induced charge in ZnO TFTs. By taking advantage of the substrate-agnostic process provided by PEALD, due to its low-temperature and excellent conformal coatings, ZnO electronics were monolithically integrated with thin-film complex oxides. Application-based examples where ZnO electronics provide added functionality to complex oxide-based devices are presented. In particular, the integration of arrayed lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 or PZT) thin films with ZnO electronics for microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) and deformable mirrors is demonstrated. ZnO switches can provide voltage to PZT capacitors with fast charging and slow

Multifunctional uranyl hybrid materials: structural diversities as a function of pH, luminescence with potential nitrobenzene sensing, and photoelectric behavior as p-type semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jian; Gao, Xue; Wang, Zhi-Nan; Li, Cheng-Ren; Xu, Qi; Bai, Feng-Ying; Shi, Zhong-Feng; Xing, Yong-Heng

2015-09-21

A series of uranyl-organic frameworks (UOFs), {[(UO2)2(H2TTHA)(H2O)]·4,4'-bipy·2H2O}n (1), {[(UO2)3(TTHA)(H2O)3]}n (2), and {[(UO2)5(TTHA) (HTTHA)(H2O)3]·H3O}n (3), have been obtained by the hydrothermal reaction of uranyl acetate with a flexible hexapodal ligand (1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine hexaacetic acid, H6TTHA). These compounds exhibited three distinct 3D self-assembly architectures as a function of pH by single-crystal structural analysis, although the used ligand was the same in each reaction. Surprisingly, all of the coordination modes of the H6TTHA ligand in this work are first discovered. Furthermore, the photoluminescent results showed that these compounds displayed high-sensitivity luminescent sensing functions for nitrobenzene. Additionally, the surface photovoltage spectroscopy and electric-field-induced surface photovoltage spectroscopy showed that compounds 1-3 could behave as p-type semiconductors.

Room temperature p-type conductivity and coexistence of ferroelectric order in ferromagnetic Li doped ZnO nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Awan, Saif Ullah

2014-10-28

Memory and switching devices acquired new materials which exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order simultaneously. We reported multiferroic behavior in Zn1-yLiyO(0.00≤y≤0.10) nanoparticles. The analysis of transmission electron micrographs confirmed the hexagonal morphology and wurtzite crystalline structure. We investigated p-type conductivity in doped samples and measured hole carriers in range 2.4×1017/cc to 7.3×1017/cc for different Li contents. We found that hole carriers are responsible for long range order ferromagnetic coupling in Li doped samples. Room temperature ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed in 8% and 10% Li doped samples. We demonstrated ferroelectric coercivity (remnant polarization) 2.5kV/cm (0.11 μC/cm2) and 2.8kV/cm (0.15 μC/cm2) for y=0.08 and y=0.10 samples. We propose that the mechanism of Li induced ferroelectricity in ZnO is due to indirect dipole interaction via hole carriers. We investigated that if the sample has hole carriers ≥5.3×1017/cc, they can mediate the ferroelectricity. Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic measurements showed that higher electric polarization and larger magnetic moment is attained when the hole concentration is larger and vice versa. Our results confirmed the hole dependent coexistence of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric behavior at room temperature, which provide potential applications for switchable and memory devices.

Hall and thermoelectric evaluation of p-type InAs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagener, M.C., E-mail: magnus.wagener@nmmu.ac.z [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa); Wagener, V.; Botha, J.R. [Department of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)

2009-12-15

This paper compares the galvanometric and thermoelectric evaluation of the electrical characteristics of narrow gap semiconductors. In particular, the influence of a surface inversion layer is incorporated into the analysis of the temperature-dependent Hall and thermoelectric measurements of p-type InAs. The temperature at which the Seebeck coefficient of p-type material changes sign is shown to be unaffected by the presence of degenerate conduction paths. This finding consequently facilitated the direct determination of the acceptor density of lightly doped thin film InAs.

Hall and thermoelectric evaluation of p-type InAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagener, M.C.; Wagener, V.; Botha, J.R.

2009-01-01

This paper compares the galvanometric and thermoelectric evaluation of the electrical characteristics of narrow gap semiconductors. In particular, the influence of a surface inversion layer is incorporated into the analysis of the temperature-dependent Hall and thermoelectric measurements of p-type InAs. The temperature at which the Seebeck coefficient of p-type material changes sign is shown to be unaffected by the presence of degenerate conduction paths. This finding consequently facilitated the direct determination of the acceptor density of lightly doped thin film InAs.

Effects of the annealing duration of the ZnO buffer layer on structural and optical properties of ZnO rods grown by a hydrothermal process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, C.M.; Lee, J.Y.; Heo, J.H.; Park, J.H.; Kim, C.R. [Department of Nano Systems Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University, Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, H., E-mail: hhryu@inje.ac.kr [Department of Nano Systems Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University, Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, J.H. [Major of Nano Semiconductor, Korea Maritime University, 1 Dongsam-dong, Yeongdo-Ku, Busan 606-791 (Korea, Republic of); Son, C.S. [Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Silla University, Gwaebeop-dong, Sasang-gu, Busan 617-736 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W.J. [Department of Nano Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 995 Eomgwangno, Busanjin-gu, Busan 614-714 (Korea, Republic of); Tan, S.T. [Institute of Microelectronics, 11 Science Park Road, Science Park II, Singapore 117685 (Singapore); Zhao, J.L. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Sun, X.W. [Institute of Microelectronics, 11 Science Park Road, Science Park II, Singapore 117685 (Singapore); School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

2009-07-30

In this study, the effects of the annealing duration of a zinc oxide (ZnO) buffer layer on structural and optical properties of ZnO rods grown by a hydrothermal process are discussed. A ZnO buffer layer was deposited on p-type Si (1 1 1) substrates by the metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method. After that, ZnO rods were grown on the ZnO-buffer/Si (1 1 1) substrate by a hydrothermal process. In order to determine the optimum annealing duration of the buffer layer for the growth of ZnO rods, durations ranging from 0.5 to 30 min were tried. The morphology and crystal structure of the ZnO/ZnO-buffer/Si (1 1 1) were measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical properties were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) measurement.

Electrodeposition of Cu-doped ZnO nanowire arrays and heterojunction formation with p-GaN for color tunable light emitting diode applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupan, O.; Pauporté, T.; Viana, B.; Aschehoug, P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► High quality copper-doped zinc oxide nanowires were electrochemically grown at low temperature. ► ZnO:Cu nanowires have been epitaxially grown on Mg-doped p-GaN single-crystalline layers. ► The (ZnO:Cu NWs)/(p-GaN:Mg) heterojunction was used to fabricate a light-emitting diode structure. ► The photo- and electroluminescence emission was red-shifted to the violet spectral region compared to pure ZnO. ► The results are of importance for band-gap engineering of ZnO and for color-tunable LED. - Abstract: Copper-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Cu) nanowires (NWs) were electrochemically deposited at low temperature on fluor-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. The electrochemical behavior of the Cu–Zn system for Cu-doped ZnO electrodeposition was studied and the electrochemical reaction mechanism is discussed. The synthesized ZnO arrayed layers were investigated by using SEM, XRD, EDX, photoluminescence and Raman techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates a decrease in the lattice parameters of Cu-doped ZnO NWs. Structural analyses show that the nanomaterial is of hexagonal structure with the Cu incorporated in ZnO NWs probably by substituting zinc in the host lattice. Photoluminescence studies on pure and Cu-doped ZnO NWs shows that the near band edge emission is red-shifted by about 5 or 12 nm depending on Cu(II) concentration in the electrolytic bath solution (3 or 6 μmol l −1 ). Cu-doped ZnO NWs have been also epitaxially grown on Mg doped p-GaN single-crystalline layers and the (ZnO:Cu NWs)/(p-GaN:Mg) heterojunction has been used to fabricate a light-emitting diode (LED) structure. The emission was red-shifted to the visible violet spectral region compared to pure ZnO. The present work demonstrates the ability of electrodeposition to produce high quality ZnO nanowires with tailored optical properties by doping. The obtained results are of great importance for further studies on bandgap engineering of ZnO, for color-tunable LED applications

Irregular Aharonov–Bohm effect for interacting electrons in a ZnO quantum ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborty, Tapash; Manaselyan, Aram; Barseghyan, Manuk

2017-01-01

The electronic states and optical transitions of a ZnO quantum ring containing few interacting electrons in an applied magnetic field are found to be very different from those in a conventional semiconductor system, such as a GaAs ring. The strong Zeeman interaction and the Coulomb interaction of the ZnO system, two important characteristics of the electron system in ZnO, exert a profound influence on the electron states and on the optical properties of the ring. In particular, our results indicate that the Aharonov–Bohm (AB) effect in a ZnO quantum ring strongly depends on the electron number. In fact, for two electrons in the ZnO ring, the AB oscillations become aperiodic, while for three electrons (interacting) the AB oscillations completely disappear. Therefore, unlike in conventional quantum ring topology, here the AB effect (and the resulting persistent current) can be controlled by varying the electron number. (paper)

ZnO nanodisk based UV detectors with printed electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Alenezi, Mohammad R; Alshammari, Abdullah S; Alzanki, Talal H; Jarowski, Peter; Henley, Simon John; Silva, S Ravi P

2014-04-08

The fabrication of highly functional materials for practical devices requires a deep understanding of the association between morphological and structural properties and applications. A controlled hydrothermal method to produce single crystal ZnO hexagonal nanodisks, nanorings, and nanoroses using a mixed solution of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) without the need of catalysts, substrates, or templates at low temperature (75 °C) is introduced. Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) ultraviolet (UV) detectors were fabricated based on individual and multiple single-crystal zinc oxide (ZnO) hexagonal nanodisks. High quality single crystal individual nanodisk devices were fabricated with inkjet-printed silver electrodes. The detectors fabricated show record photoresponsivity (3300 A/W) and external quantum efficiency (1.2 × 10(4)), which we attribute to the absence of grain boundaries in the single crystal ZnO nanodisk and the polarity of its exposed surface.

Non-vacuum, single-step conductive transparent ZnO patterning by ultra-short pulsed laser annealing of solution-deposited nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Daeho; Pan, Heng; Kim, Eunpa; Grigoropoulos, Costas P. [University of California, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Ko, Seung Hwan [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Hee K. [AppliFlex LLC, Sunnyvale, CA (United States)

2012-04-15

A solution-processable, high-concentration transparent ZnO nanoparticle (NP) solution was successfully synthesized in a new process. A highly transparent ZnO thin film was fabricated by spin coating without vacuum deposition. Subsequent ultra-short-pulsed laser annealing at room temperature was performed to change the film properties without using a blanket high temperature heating process. Although the as-deposited NP thin film was not electrically conductive, laser annealing imparted a large conductivity increase and furthermore enabled selective annealing to write conductive patterns directly on the NP thin film without a photolithographic process. Conductivity enhancement could be obtained by altering the laser annealing parameters. Parametric studies including the sheet resistance and optical transmittance of the annealed ZnO NP thin film were conducted for various laser powers, scanning speeds and background gas conditions. The lowest resistivity from laser-annealed ZnO thin film was about 4.75 x 10{sup -2} {omega} cm, exhibiting a factor of 10{sup 5} higher conductivity than the previously reported furnace-annealed ZnO NP film and is even comparable to that of vacuum-deposited, impurity-doped ZnO films within a factor of 10. The process developed in this work was applied to the fabrication of a thin film transistor (TFT) device that showed enhanced performance compared with furnace-annealed devices. A ZnO TFT performance test revealed that by just changing the laser parameters, the solution-deposited ZnO thin film can also perform as a semiconductor, demonstrating that laser annealing offers tunability of ZnO thin film properties for both transparent conductors and semiconductors. (orig.)

Paramagnetism and antiferromagnetic interactions in single-phase Fe-implanted ZnO

CERN Document Server

Pereira, Lino Miguel da Costa; Correia, João Guilherme; Van Bael, M J; Temst, Kristiaan; Vantomme, André; Araújo, João Pedro

2013-01-01

As the intrinsic origin of the high temperature ferromagnetism often observed in wide-gap dilute magnetic semiconductors becomes increasingly debated, there is a growing need for comprehensive studies on the single-phase region of the phase diagram of these materials. Here we report on the magnetic and structural properties of Fe-doped ZnO prepared by ion implantation of ZnO single crystals. A detailed structural characterization shows that the Fe impurities substitute for Zn in ZnO in a wurtzite Zn$_{1−x}$Fe$_{x}$O phase which is coherent with the ZnO host. In addition, the density of beam-induced defects is progressively decreased by thermal annealing up to 900$^{\\circ}$C, from highly disordered after implantation to highly crystalline upon subsequent annealing. Based on a detailed analysis of the magnetometry data, we demonstrate that isolated Fe impurities occupying Zn substitutional sites behave as localized paramagnetic moments down to 2$^{\\circ}$K, irrespective of the Fe concentration and the density...

Core - shell upconversion nanoparticle - semiconductor heterostructures for photodynamic therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Qing Qing; Rengaramchandran, Adith; Selvan, Subramanian Tamil; Paulmurugan, Ramasamy; Zhang, Yong

2015-02-01

Core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) with diverse chemical compositions have been attracting greater attention in recent years. However, it has been a challenge to develop CSNPs with different crystal structures due to the lattice mismatch of the nanocrystals. Here we report a rational design of core-shell heterostructure consisting of NaYF4:Yb,Tm upconversion nanoparticle (UCN) as the core and ZnO semiconductor as the shell for potential application in photodynamic therapy (PDT). The core-shell architecture (confirmed by TEM and STEM) enables for improving the loading efficiency of photosensitizer (ZnO) as the semiconductor is directly coated on the UCN core. Importantly, UCN acts as a transducer to sensitize ZnO and trigger the generation of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce cancer cell death. We also present a firefly luciferase (FLuc) reporter gene based molecular biosensor (ARE-FLuc) to measure the antioxidant signaling response activated in cells during the release of ROS in response to the exposure of CSNPs under 980 nm NIR light. The breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and 4T1) exposed to CSNPs showed significant release of ROS as measured by aminophenyl fluorescein (APF) and ARE-FLuc luciferase assays, and ~45% cancer cell death as measured by MTT assay, when illuminated with 980 nm NIR light.

Fermi level dependent native defect formation: Consequences for metal-semiconductor and semiconductor-semiconductor interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walukiewicz, W.

1988-02-01

The amphoteric native defect model of the Schottky barrier formation is used to analyze the Fermi level pinning at metal/semiconductor interfaces for submonolayer metal coverages. It is assumed that the energy required for defect generation is released in the process of surface back-relaxation. Model calculations for metal/GaAs interfaces show a weak dependence of the Fermi level pinning on the thickness of metal deposited at room temperature. This weak dependence indicates a strong dependence of the defect formation energy on the Fermi level, a unique feature of amphoteric native defects. This result is in very good agreement with experimental data. It is shown that a very distinct asymmetry in the Fermi level pinning on p- and n-type GaAs observed at liquid nitrogen temperatures can be understood in terms of much different recombination rates for amphoteric native defects in those two types of materials. Also, it is demonstrated that the Fermi level stabilization energy, a central concept of the amphoteric defect system, plays a fundamental role in other phenomena in semiconductors such as semiconductor/semiconductor heterointerface intermixing and saturation of free carrier concentration. 33 refs., 6 figs

Magnetism in V-/Mn-doped ZnO layers fabricated on sapphire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mofor, A.C.; El-Shaer, A.; Schlenker, E.; Bakin, A.; Waag, A. [Technical University Braunschweig, Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Braunschweig (Germany); Reuss, F.; Kling, R.; Schoch, W.; Limmer, W. [University Ulm, Department of Semiconductor Physics, Ulm (Germany); Ahlers, H.; Siegner, U.; Sievers, S.; Albrecht, M. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig (Germany); Eisenmenger, J.; Mueller, T.; Ziemann, P. [University Ulm, Department of Solid State Physics, Ulm (Germany); Huebel, A.; Denninger, G. [Universitaet Stuttgart, 2. Physkalisches Institut, Stuttgart (Germany)

2007-07-15

Doping ZnO with transition metals (TM) is an obvious approach to produce diluted magnetic semiconductors for magnetoelectronic and spintronic applications. We have carried out experimental studies on the fabrication and characterisation of Mn-doped ZnO layers and V-doped ZnO layers and nanorods, the results of which are reviewed in this paper. From SQUID measurements, both epitaxial and implanted ZnMnO layers show paramagnetic behaviour. Epitaxial ZnVO layers show ferromagnetic SQUID signals, but the presence of any secondary phases in the ZnVO layers may not be ruled out. We also show that the used Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates produce a ferromagnetic SQUID signal, that complicates the analysis of magnetisation data and hence the confirmation of ferromagnetism only from SQUID results. (orig.)

GaN and ZnO nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuendling, Soenke; Soekmen, Uensal; Behrends, Arne; Al-Suleiman, Mohamed Aid Mansur; Merzsch, Stephan; Li, Shunfeng; Bakin, Andrey; Wehmann, Hergo-Heinrich; Waag, Andreas [Institut fuer Halbleitertechnik, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Braunschweig (Germany); Laehnemann, Jonas; Jahn, Uwe; Trampert, Achim; Riechert, Henning [Paul-Drude-Institut fuer Festkoerperelektronik, Berlin (Germany)

2010-10-15

GaN and ZnO are both wide band gap semiconductors with interesting properties concerning optoelectronic and sensor device applications. Due to the lack or the high costs of native substrates, alternatives like sapphire, silicon, or silicon carbide are taken, but the resulting lattice and thermal mismatches lead to increased defect densities which reduce the material quality. In contrast, nanostructures with high aspect ratio have lower defect densities as compared to layers. In this work, we give an overview on our results achieved on both ZnO as well as GaN based nanorods. ZnO nanostructures were grown by a wet chemical approach as well as by VPT on different substrates - even on flexible polymers. To compare the growth results we analyzed the structures by XRD and PL and show possible device applications. The GaN nano- and microstructures were grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy either in a self-organized process or by selective area growth for a better control of shape and material composition. Finally we take a look onto possible device applications, presenting our attempts, e.g., to build LEDs based on GaN nanostructures. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A boron and gallium co-doped ZnO intermediate layer for ZnO/Si heterojunction diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yuanxi; Huang, Jian; Li, Bing; Tang, Ke; Ma, Yuncheng; Cao, Meng; Wang, Lin; Wang, Linjun

2018-01-01

ZnO (Zinc oxide)/Si (Silicon) heterojunctions were prepared by depositing n-type ZnO films on p-type single crystal Si substrates using magnetron sputtering. A boron and gallium co-doped ZnO (BGZO) high conductivity intermediate layer was deposited between aurum (Au) electrodes and ZnO films. The influence of the BGZO layer on the properties of Au/ZnO contacts and the performance of ZnO/Si heterojunctions was investigated. The results show an improvement in contact resistance by introducing the BGZO layer. Compared with the ZnO/Si heterojunction, the BGZO/ZnO/Si heterojunction exhibits a larger forward current, a smaller turn-on voltage and higher ratio of ultraviolet (UV) photo current/dark current.

Interfacial charge separation and recombination in InP and quasi-type II InP/CdS core/shell quantum dot-molecular acceptor complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kaifeng; Song, Nianhui; Liu, Zheng; Zhu, Haiming; Rodríguez-Córdoba, William; Lian, Tianquan

2013-08-15

Recent studies of group II-VI colloidal semiconductor heterostuctures, such as CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) or dot-in-rod nanorods, show that type II and quasi-type II band alignment can facilitate electron transfer and slow down charge recombination in QD-molecular electron acceptor complexes. To explore the general applicability of this wave function engineering approach for controlling charge transfer properties, we investigate exciton relaxation and dissociation dynamics in InP (a group III-V semiconductor) and InP/CdS core/shell (a heterostructure beween group III-V and II-VI semiconductors) QDs by transient absorption spectroscopy. We show that InP/CdS QDs exhibit a quasi-type II band alignment with the 1S electron delocalized throughout the core and shell and the 1S hole confined in the InP core. In InP-methylviologen (MV(2+)) complexes, excitons in the QD can be dissociated by ultrafast electron transfer to MV(2+) from the 1S electron level (with an average time constant of 11.4 ps) as well as 1P and higher electron levels (with a time constant of 0.39 ps), which is followed by charge recombination to regenerate the complex in its ground state (with an average time constant of 47.1 ns). In comparison, InP/CdS-MV(2+) complexes show similar ultrafast charge separation and 5-fold slower charge recombination rates, consistent with the quasi-type II band alignment in these heterostructures. This result demonstrates that wave function engineering in nanoheterostructures of group III-V and II-VI semiconductors provides a promising approach for optimizing their light harvesting and charge separation for solar energy conversion applications.

Effect of interface voids on electroluminescence colors for ZnO microdisk/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Ran; Choi, Ji Eun; Kim, Hyeong Jin; Jeong, Junseok; Kim, Jong Chan; Kim, Yong-Jin; Jeong, Hu Young; Hong, Young Joon

2017-10-01

This study investigates the influence of voids on the electroluminescence (EL) emission color of ZnO microdisk/p-GaN heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs). For this study, position-controlled microdisk arrays were fabricated on patterned p-GaN via wet chemical epitaxy of ZnO, and specifically, the use of trisodium citrate dihydrate (TCD) yielded high-density voids at the bottom of the microdisk. Greenish yellow or whitish blue EL was emitted from the microdisk LEDs formed with or without TCD, respectively, at reverse-bias voltages. Such different EL colors were found to be responsible for the relative EL intensity ratio between indigo and yellow emission peaks, which were originated from radiative recombination at p-GaN and ZnO, respectively. The relative EL intensity between dichromatic emissions is discussed in terms of (i) junction edge effect provoked by interfacial voids and (ii) electron tunneling probability depending on the depletion layer geometry.

Compensation of native donor doping in ScN: Carrier concentration control and p-type ScN

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Bivas; Garbrecht, Magnus; Perez-Taborda, Jaime A.; Fawey, Mohammed H.; Koh, Yee Rui; Shakouri, Ali; Martin-Gonzalez, Marisol; Hultman, Lars; Sands, Timothy D.

2017-06-01

Scandium nitride (ScN) is an emerging indirect bandgap rocksalt semiconductor that has attracted significant attention in recent years for its potential applications in thermoelectric energy conversion devices, as a semiconducting component in epitaxial metal/semiconductor superlattices and as a substrate material for high quality GaN growth. Due to the presence of oxygen impurities and native defects such as nitrogen vacancies, sputter-deposited ScN thin-films are highly degenerate n-type semiconductors with carrier concentrations in the (1-6) × 1020 cm-3 range. In this letter, we show that magnesium nitride (MgxNy) acts as an efficient hole dopant in ScN and reduces the n-type carrier concentration, turning ScN into a p-type semiconductor at high doping levels. Employing a combination of high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and room temperature optical and temperature dependent electrical measurements, we demonstrate that p-type Sc1-xMgxN thin-film alloys (a) are substitutional solid solutions without MgxNy precipitation, phase segregation, or secondary phase formation within the studied compositional region, (b) exhibit a maximum hole-concentration of 2.2 × 1020 cm-3 and a hole mobility of 21 cm2/Vs, (c) do not show any defect states inside the direct gap of ScN, thus retaining their basic electronic structure, and (d) exhibit alloy scattering dominating hole conduction at high temperatures. These results demonstrate MgxNy doped p-type ScN and compare well with our previous reports on p-type ScN with manganese nitride (MnxNy) doping.

First principles study of magneto-optical properties of Fe-doped ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaoqiang, Guo [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051 (China); Qingyu, Hou, E-mail: by0501119@126.com [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051 (China); Zhenchao, Xu [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051 (China); Chunwang, Zhao [College of Science, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Hohhot 010051 (China); College of Arts and Sciences, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306 (China)

2016-12-15

Studies on optical band gaps and absorption spectra of Fe-doped ZnO have conflicting conclusions, such as contradictory redshifted and blueshifted spectra. To solve this contradiction, we constructed models of un-doped and Fe-doped ZnO using first-principles theory and optimized the geometry of the three models. Electronic structures and absorption spectra were also calculated using the GGA+U method. Higher doping content of Fe resulted in larger volume of doped system, and higher total energy resulted in lower stability. Higher formation energy also led to more difficult doping. Meanwhile, the band gaps broadened and the absorption spectra exhibited an evident blue shift. The calculations were in good agreement with the experimental results. Given the unipolar structure of ZnO, four possible magnetic coupling configurations for Zn{sub 14}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 16} were calculated to investigate the magnetic properties. Results suggest that Fe doping can improve ferromagnetism in the ZnO system and that ferromagnetic stabilization was mediated by p–d exchange interaction between Fe-3d and O-2p orbitals. Therefore, the doped system is expected to obtain high stability and high Curie temperature of diluted magnetic semiconductor material, which are useful as theoretical bases for the design and preparation of the Fe-doped ZnO system’s magneto-optical properties. - Highlights: • A biomonitoring tool for the freshwater zone of template estuaries. • Water quality characterization related to nutrients and organic matter enrichment. • The percentage of a group of 24 tolerant species were capable of detecting the impairment of the water quality. • Characterization of morpho-functional traits of the selected tolerant species.

Temperature-dependent thermal and thermoelectric properties of n -type and p -type S c1 -xM gxN

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Bivas; Perez-Taborda, Jaime Andres; Bahk, Je-Hyeong; Koh, Yee Rui; Shakouri, Ali; Martin-Gonzalez, Marisol; Sands, Timothy D.

2018-02-01

Scandium Nitride (ScN) is an emerging rocksalt semiconductor with octahedral coordination and an indirect bandgap. ScN has attracted significant attention in recent years for its potential thermoelectric applications, as a component material in epitaxial metal/semiconductor superlattices, and as a substrate for defect-free GaN growth. Sputter-deposited ScN thin films are highly degenerate n -type semiconductors and exhibit a large thermoelectric power factor of ˜3.5 ×10-3W /m -K2 at 600-800 K. Since practical thermoelectric devices require both n- and p-type materials with high thermoelectric figures-of-merit, development and demonstration of highly efficient p-type ScN is extremely important. Recently, the authors have demonstrated p-type S c1 -xM gxN thin film alloys with low M gxNy mole-fractions within the ScN matrix. In this article, we demonstrate temperature dependent thermal and thermoelectric transport properties, including large thermoelectric power factors in both n- and p-type S c1 -xM gxN thin film alloys at high temperatures (up to 850 K). Employing a combination of temperature-dependent Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity measurements, as well as detailed Boltzmann transport-based modeling analyses of the transport properties, we demonstrate that p-type S c1 -xM gxN thin film alloys exhibit a maximum thermoelectric power factor of ˜0.8 ×10-3W /m -K2 at 850 K. The thermoelectric properties are tunable by adjusting the M gxNy mole-fraction inside the ScN matrix, thereby shifting the Fermi energy in the alloy films from inside the conduction band in case of undoped n -type ScN to inside the valence band in highly hole-doped p -type S c1 -xM gxN thin film alloys. The thermal conductivities of both the n- and p-type films were found to be undesirably large for thermoelectric applications. Thus, future work should address strategies to reduce the thermal conductivity of S c1 -xM gxN thin-film alloys, without affecting

Structural and Optical Properties of Eu Doped ZnO Nanorods prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

KAUST Repository

Alarawi, Abeer

2014-01-01

Nano structured wide band gap semiconductors have attracted attention of many researchers due to their potential electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this thesis, we report successful synthesis of well aligned Eu doped ZnO nano

Fast Response and High Sensitivity of ZnO Nanowires-Cobalt Phthalocyanine Heterojunction Based H2S Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashwini; Samanta, Soumen; Singh, Ajay; Roy, Mainak; Singh, Surendra; Basu, Saibal; Chehimi, Mohmad M; Roy, Kallol; Ramgir, Niranjan; Navaneethan, M; Hayakawa, Y; Debnath, Anil K; Aswal, Dinesh K; Gupta, Shiv K

2015-08-19

The room temperature chemiresistive response of n-type ZnO nanowire (ZnO NWs) films modified with different thicknesses of p-type cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) has been studied. With increasing thickness of CoPc (>15 nm), heterojunction films exhibit a transition from n- to p-type conduction due to uniform coating of CoPc on ZnO. The heterojunction films prepared with a 25 nm thick CoPc layer exhibit the highest response (268% at 10 ppm of H2S) and the fastest response (26 s) among all samples. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and work function measurements reveal that electron transfer takes place from ZnO to CoPc, resulting in formation of a p-n junction with a barrier height of 0.4 eV and a depletion layer width of ∼8.9 nm. The detailed XPS analysis suggests that these heterojunction films with 25 nm thick CoPc exhibit the least content of chemisorbed oxygen, enabling the direct interaction of H2S with the CoPc molecule, and therefore exhibit the fastest response. The improved response is attributed to the high susceptibility of the p-n junctions to the H2S gas, which manipulates the depletion layer width and controls the charge transport.

Synthesis of cadmium oxide doped ZnO nanostructures using electrochemical deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Trilok; Pandya, D.K.; Singh, R.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Ternary ZnCdO alloy semiconductor nanostructures were grown using electrochemical deposition. → X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the nanostructures were of wurtzite structure and possessed a compressive stress along the c-axis direction. → The cut-off wavelength shifted from blue to red on account of the Cd incorporation in the ZnO and the average transmittance decreased by ∼31%. → The bandgap tuning for 4-16 at% Cd in the initial solution was achieved in the range of 3.08-3.32 eV (up to 0.24 eV). - Abstract: Ternary ZnCdO alloy semiconductor nanostructures were grown using electrochemical deposition. Crystalline nanostructures/nanorods with cadmium concentration ranging from 4 to 16 at% in the initial solution were electrodeposited on tin doped indium oxide (ITO) conducting glass substrates at a constant cathodic potential -0.9 V and subsequently annealed in air at 300 deg. C. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the nanostructures were of wurtzite structure and possessed a compressive stress along the c-axis direction. The elemental composition of nanostructures was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). ZnO nanostructures were found to be highly transparent and had an average transmittance of 85% in the visible range of the spectrum. After the incorporation of Cd content into ZnO the average transmittance decreased and the bandgap tuning was also achieved.

Spectroscopic investigations on the interaction of thioacetamide with ZnO quantum dots and application for its fluorescence sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Dipika; Negi, Devendra P. S.

2018-01-01

The purpose of the present work was to develop a method for the sensing of thioacetamide by using spectroscopic techniques. Thioacetamide is a carcinogen and it is important to detect its presence in food-stuffs. Semiconductor quantum dots are frequently employed as sensing probes since their absorption and fluorescence properties are highly sensitive to the interaction with substrates present in the solution. In the present work, the interaction between thioacetamide and ZnO quantum dots has been investigated by using UV-visible, fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. Besides, dynamic light scattering (DLS) has also been utilized for the interaction studies. UV-visible absorption studies indicated the bonding of the lone pair of sulphur atom of thioacetamide with the surface of the semiconductor. The fluorescence band of the ZnO quantum dots was found to be quenched in the presence of micromolar concentrations of thioacetamide. The quenching was found to follow the Stern-Volmer relationship. The Stern-Volmer constant was evaluated to be 1.20 × 105 M- 1. Infrared spectroscopic measurements indicated the participation of the sbnd NH2 group and the sulphur atom of thioacetamide in bonding with the surface of the ZnO quantum dots. DLS measurements indicated that the surface charge of the semiconductor was shielded by the thioacetamide molecules.

Temperature dependent dual hydrogen sensor response of Pd nanoparticle decorated Al doped ZnO surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, D.; Barman, P. B.; Hazra, S. K., E-mail: surajithazra@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan, Himachal Pradesh-173234 (India); Dutta, D. [IC Design and Fabrication Centre, Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700032 (India); Kumar, M.; Som, T. [SUNAG Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar 751005 (India)

2015-10-28

Sputter deposited Al doped ZnO (AZO) thin films exhibit a dual hydrogen sensing response in the temperature range 40 °C–150 °C after surface modifications with palladium nanoparticles. The unmodified AZO films showed no response in hydrogen in the temperature range 40 °C–150 °C. The operational temperature windows on the low and high temperature sides have been estimated by isolating the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature zone of the sensor device. The gas response pattern was modeled by considering various adsorption isotherms, which revealed the dominance of heterogeneous adsorption characteristics. The Arrhenius adsorption barrier showed dual variation with change in hydrogen gas concentration on either side of the semiconductor-to-metal transition. A detailed analysis of the hydrogen gas response pattern by considering the changes in nano palladium due to hydrogen adsorption, and semiconductor-to-metal transition of nanocrystalline Al doped ZnO layer due to temperature, along with material characterization studies by glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, are presented.

Bulk ZnO: Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

von Wenckstern, H. Schmidt, M. Lorenz, and M. Grundmann, “Defects in virgin and N+-implanted ZnO single crystals studied by positron annihilation...characterization, and device applications of semiconductor and complex oxide thin films. He is a co-author of more than 50 papers in referred...REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR PAPER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (DOUBLE-CLICK HERE TO EDIT) < 1 Abstract— Rediscovered in the last decade, zinc oxide

MOF-5 decorated hierarchical ZnO nanorod arrays and its photoluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yinmin; Lan, Ding; Wang, Yuren; Cao, He; Jiang, Heng

2011-04-01

The strategy to manipulate nanoscale materials into well-organized hierarchical architectures is very important to both material synthesis and nanodevice applications. Here, nanoscale MOF-5 crystallites were successfully fabricated onto ordered hierarchical ZnO arrays based on aqueous chemical synthesis and molecule self-assembly technology guided room temperature diffusion method, which has the advantages of energy saving and simple operation. The structures and morphologies of the samples were performed by X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electronic microscopy. The MOF-5 crystallites have good quality and bind well to the hexagonal-patterned ZnO arrays. The photoluminescence spectrum shows that the emission of hybrid MOF-5-ZnO films displays a blue shift in green emission and intensity reduction in UV emission. This ordered hybrid semiconductor material is expected to exploit the great potentiality in sensors, micro/nanodevices, and screen displays.

Defect study in ZnO related structures-A multi-spectroscopic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ling, C.C.; Cheung, C.K.; Gu, Q.L.; Dai, X.M.; Xu, S.J.; Zhu, C.Y.; Luo, J.M.; Zhu, C.Y.; Tam, K.H.; Djurisic, A.B.; Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.; Lu, L.W.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Skorupa, W.; Ong, H.C.

2008-01-01

ZnO has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years because of its potential applications for fabricating optoelectronic devices. Using a multi-spectroscopic approach including positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we have studied the two observed phenomena from ZnO related structures. They namely included the H 2 O 2 pre-treatment induced ohmic to rectifying contact conversion on Au/n-ZnO contact and the p-type doping by nitrogen ion implantation. The aim of the studies was to offering comprehensive views as to how the defects influenced the structures electrical and optical properties of the structures. It was also shown that PAS measurement using the monoenergetic positron beam could offer valuable information of vacancy type defects in the vertical ZnO nanorod array structure

Defect study in ZnO related structures-A multi-spectroscopic approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ling, C.C. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (China)], E-mail: ccling@hku.hk; Cheung, C.K.; Gu, Q.L.; Dai, X.M.; Xu, S.J.; Zhu, C.Y.; Luo, J.M.; Zhu, C.Y.; Tam, K.H.; Djurisic, A.B.; Beling, C.D.; Fung, S.; Lu, L.W. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (China); Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Skorupa, W. [Institut fuer Ionenstrahlphysik und Materialforschung, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Postfach 510119, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Ong, H.C. [Department of Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong (China)

2008-10-31

ZnO has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years because of its potential applications for fabricating optoelectronic devices. Using a multi-spectroscopic approach including positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we have studied the two observed phenomena from ZnO related structures. They namely included the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} pre-treatment induced ohmic to rectifying contact conversion on Au/n-ZnO contact and the p-type doping by nitrogen ion implantation. The aim of the studies was to offering comprehensive views as to how the defects influenced the structures electrical and optical properties of the structures. It was also shown that PAS measurement using the monoenergetic positron beam could offer valuable information of vacancy type defects in the vertical ZnO nanorod array structure.

Defect study in ZnO related structures—A multi-spectroscopic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, C. C.; Cheung, C. K.; Gu, Q. L.; Dai, X. M.; Xu, S. J.; Zhu, C. Y.; Luo, J. M.; Zhu, C. Y.; Tam, K. H.; Djurišić, A. B.; Beling, C. D.; Fung, S.; Lu, L. W.; Brauer, G.; Anwand, W.; Skorupa, W.; Ong, H. C.

2008-10-01

ZnO has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years because of its potential applications for fabricating optoelectronic devices. Using a multi-spectroscopic approach including positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we have studied the two observed phenomena from ZnO related structures. They namely included the H 2O 2 pre-treatment induced ohmic to rectifying contact conversion on Au/ n-ZnO contact and the p-type doping by nitrogen ion implantation. The aim of the studies was to offering comprehensive views as to how the defects influenced the structures electrical and optical properties of the structures. It was also shown that PAS measurement using the monoenergetic positron beam could offer valuable information of vacancy type defects in the vertical ZnO nanorod array structure.

Electrical characterisation of semiconductor structures using AFM techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovac jr, J.; Kovac, J.; Hotovy, J.; Novotny, I.; Skriniarova, J.; Dutkova, E.; Balaz, P.

2011-01-01

The microscopic dimensions appear to be a fundamental limitation to many common measurement techniques. The use of Current-Atomic Force Microscopy (I-AFM) bids a possibility to acquire topography image along with the current flow mappings which can be lapped over in resulting image as presented in this paper. A current distribution on the ZnO surface of p-Si/n- ZnO diode structure with CdS or ZnS nanocrystalline quantum dot clusters at the interface has been measured. The resulting images show a conductivity mapping different from topography what induces a conductive channels at the edges of the ZnO grains. We have successfully used I-AFM method where conductive AFM tip is scanning over the surface of the sample to create a topography image along with a current flow mapping of p-Si substrate covered with CdS or ZnS nanocrystalline clusters overlapped by 100 nm thick n-ZnO layer. The measured current mappings of both samples revealed a formation of conductive channels between the clusters of quantum dots when the sample is forward biased. We are able to create 3D topography images of combined with the forward biased current mapping textures which gives complex information about local conductivity and using this method it should be possible to find hidden current leaks in the samples for example defects in most semiconductor materials. A drift current generated in p-n junction was recorded when the sample was reverse biased while the sample has been exposed to light. Possible UV light source should cause a higher reverse current due to high bandgap of ZnS clusters which is a motivation to further research. The devices fabricated from these structures have the potential applications for solar cells or broadband photodetectors. (authors)

Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Rahul, K. Suseel; Souparnika, C.; Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent

2016-05-01

In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

Electronic properties of electron and hole in type-II semiconductor nano-heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahul, K. Suseel [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India); Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Souparnika, C. [Department of Physics, Sri Vyasa NSS College, Wadakkancheri, Thrissur, Kerala, PIN:680623. India (India); Salini, K.; Mathew, Vincent, E-mail: vincent@cukerala.ac.in [Department of Physics, Central University of Kerala, Riverside Transit Campus, Kasaragod, Kerala. India (India)

2016-05-06

In this project, we record the orbitals of electron and hole in type-II (CdTe/CdSe/CdTe/CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystal using effective mass approximation. In type-II the band edges of both valance and conduction band are higher than that of shell. So the electron and hole get confined in different layers of the hetero-structure. The energy eigen values and eigen functions are calculated by solving Schrodinger equation using finite difference matrix method. Based on this we investigate the effect of shell thickness and well width on energy and probability distribution of ground state (1s) and few excited states (1p,1d,etc). Our results predict that, type-II quantum dots have significant importance in photovoltaic applications.

Efficient photocatalytic performance enhancement in Co-doped ZnO nanowires coupled with CuS nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wang, Guojing; Feng, Yimeng; Li, Zhengcao

2018-01-01

In this research, a kind of highly efficient semiconductor photocatalyst was fabricated by depositing CuS nanoparticles uniformly on the surface of Co-doped ZnO nanowires. ZnO nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal method and CuS nanoparticles were modified by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). By conducting methyl orange (MO) degradation experiments under the illumination of visible light, the photocatalytic activity of Co-doped ZnO nanowires modified with CuS nanoparticles was found to be nearly three times active when compared to bare ZnO nanowires. Its superior photocatalytic performance has two main reasons. The doped Co2+ ions can inhibit the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and decrease the optical bandgap, while the p-n heterostructure can enhance the visible light absorption ability and promote the separation of photo-excited charge carriers. Furthermore, the effect of the amount of deposited CuS nanoparticles on the photocatalysis was also investigated. The photocatalytic efficiency firstly raised along with the increment of SILAR cycle times and reached a maximum at 10 cycles but then decreased as the cycle times continue to increase. This originates from that an excessive amount of CuS would not only cover the active reacting sites, but also serve as recombination centers. Overall, this new nanostructure is expected to work as an efficient photocatalyst.

Effect of compressive stress on stability of N-doped p-type ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xingyou; Zhang Zhenzhong; Jiang Mingming; Wang Shuangpeng; Li Binghui; Shan Chongxin; Liu Lei; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen; Yao Bin

2011-01-01

Nitrogen-doped p-type zinc oxide (p-ZnO:N) thin films were fabricated on a-/c-plane sapphire (a-/c-Al 2 O 3 ) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Hall-effect measurements show that the p-type ZnO:N on c-Al 2 O 3 degenerated into n-type after a preservation time; however, the one grown on a-Al 2 O 3 showed good stability. The conversion of conductivity in the one grown on c-Al 2 O 3 ascribed to the faster disappearance of N O and the growing N 2(O) , which is demonstrated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compressive stress, caused by lattice misfit, was revealed by Raman spectra and optical absorption spectra, and it was regarded as the root of the instability in ZnO:N.

Emergent properties resulting from type-II band alignment in semiconductor nanoheterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Shun S; Mirkovic, Tihana; Chuang, Chi-Hung; Burda, Clemens; Scholes, Gregory D

2011-01-11

The development of elegant synthetic methodologies for the preparation of monocomponent nanocrystalline particles has opened many possibilities for the preparation of heterostructured semiconductor nanostructures. Each of the integrated nanodomains is characterized by its individual physical properties, surface chemistry, and morphology, yet, these multicomponent hybrid particles present ideal systems for the investigation of the synergetic properties that arise from the material combination in a non-additive fashion. Of particular interest are type-II heterostructures, where the relative band alignment of their constituent semiconductor materials promotes a spatial separation of the electron and hole following photoexcitation, a highly desirable property for photovoltaic applications. This article highlights recent progress in both synthetic strategies, which allow for material and architectural modulation of novel nanoheterostructures, as well as the experimental work that provides insight into the photophysical properties of type-II heterostructures. The effects of external factors, such as electric fields, temperature, and solvent are explored in conjunction with exciton and multiexciton dynamics and charge transfer processes typical for type-II semiconductor heterostructures.

Nanostructured Semiconductor Electrodes for Solar Energy Conversion and Innovations in Undergraduate Chemical Lab Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sudarat

This dissertation presents the methodology and discussion of preparing nanostructured, high aspect ratio p-type phosphide-based binary and ternary semiconductors via "top-down" anodic etching, a process which creates nanostructures from a large parent entity, and "bottom-up" vapor-liquid-solid growth, a mechanism which builds up small clusters of molecules block-by-block. Such architecture is particularly useful for semiconducting materials with incompatible optical absorption depth and charge carrier diffusion length, as it not only relaxes the requirement for high-grade crystalline materials, but also increases the carrier collection efficiencies for photons with energy greater than or equal to the band gap. The main focus of this dissertation is to obtain nanostructured p-type phosphide semiconductors for photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell applications. Chapter II in the thesis describes a methodology for creating high-aspect ratio p-GaP that function as a photocathode under white light illumination. Gallium phosphide (GaP, band gap: 2.26 eV) is a suitable candidate for solar conversion and energy storage due to its ability to generate large photocurrent and photovoltage to drive fuel-forming reactions. Furthermore, the band edge positions of GaP can provide sufficient kinetics for the reduction of protons and carbon dioxide. The structure is prepared by anodic etching, and the resulting macroporous structures are subsequently doped with Zn by thermally driving in Zn from conformal ZnO films prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The key finding of this work is a viable doping strategy involving ALD ZnO films for making functioning p-type GaP nanostructures. Chapter III compares the GaP nanowires grown from gold (Au) and tin (Sn) VLS catalysts in a benign solid sublimation growth scheme in terms of crystal structure and photoactivity. Sn is less noble than Au, allowing complete removal of Sn metal catalysts from the nanowires through wet chemical etching which

III-V group compound semiconductor light-emitting element having a doped tantalum barrier layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oanna, Y.; Ozawa, N.; Yamashita, M.; Yasuda, N.

1984-01-01

Disclosed is a III-V Group compound semiconductor light-emitting element having a III-V Group compound semiconductor body with a p-n junction and including a p-type layer involved in forming the p-n junction; and a multi-layer electrode mounted on the p-type layer of the semiconductor body. The electrode comprises a first layer of gold alloy containing a small amount of beryllium or zinc and formed in direct contact with the p-type layer of the semiconductor body and an uppermost layer formed of gold or aluminum. A tantalum layer doped with carbon, nitrogen and/or oxygen is formed between the first layer and the uppermost layer by means of vacuum vapor deposition

Self-assembly and optical properties of patterned ZnO nanodot arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Yijian; Zheng Maojun; Ma Li

2007-01-01

Patterned ZnO nanodot (ND) arrays and a ND-cavity microstructure were realized on an anodic alumina membrane (AAM) surface through a spin-coating sol-gel process, which benefits from the morphology and localized negative charge surface of AAM as well as the optimized sol concentration. The growth mechanism is believed to be a self-assembly process. This provides a simple approach to fabricate semiconductor quantum dot (QD) arrays and a QD-cavity system with its advantage in low cost and mass production. Strong ultra-violet emission, a multi-phonon process, and its special structure-related properties were observed in the patterned ZnO ND arrays

Photoluminescence properties of ZnO films grown on InP by thermally oxidizing metallic Zn films

CERN Document Server

Chen, S J; Zhang, J Y; Lu, Y M; Shen, D Z; Fan, X W

2003-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnO films grown on (001) InP substrates by thermal oxidization of metallic Zn films, in which oxygen vacancies and interstitial Zn ions are compensated by P ions diffusing from (001) InP substrates, are investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that P ions have diffused into the Zn films and chemically combined with Zn ions to form Zn sub 3 P sub 2. Intense free exciton emission dominates the PL spectra of ZnO films with very weak deep-level emission. Low-temperature PL spectra at 79 K are dominated by neutral-donor bound exciton emission at 3.299 eV (I sub 4) with a linewidth of 17.3 meV and neutral-acceptor bound exciton emission at 3.264 eV. The free exciton emission increases with increasing temperature and eventually dominates the emission spectrum for temperature higher than 170 K. Furthermore, the visible emission around 2.3 eV correlated with oxygen deficiencies and interstitial Zn defects was quenched to a remarkable degree by P diffusing from InP substrate...

Photoluminescence properties of ZnO films grown on InP by thermally oxidizing metallic Zn films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, S J; Liu, Y C; Zhang, J Y; Lu, Y M; Shen, D Z; Fan, X W

2003-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnO films grown on (001) InP substrates by thermal oxidization of metallic Zn films, in which oxygen vacancies and interstitial Zn ions are compensated by P ions diffusing from (001) InP substrates, are investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra indicate that P ions have diffused into the Zn films and chemically combined with Zn ions to form Zn 3 P 2 . Intense free exciton emission dominates the PL spectra of ZnO films with very weak deep-level emission. Low-temperature PL spectra at 79 K are dominated by neutral-donor bound exciton emission at 3.299 eV (I 4 ) with a linewidth of 17.3 meV and neutral-acceptor bound exciton emission at 3.264 eV. The free exciton emission increases with increasing temperature and eventually dominates the emission spectrum for temperature higher than 170 K. Furthermore, the visible emission around 2.3 eV correlated with oxygen deficiencies and interstitial Zn defects was quenched to a remarkable degree by P diffusing from InP substrates

Defect induced d{sup 0} ferromagnetism in a ZnO grain boundary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assa Aravindh, Sasikala Devi; Schwingenschloegl, Udo; Roqan, Iman S, E-mail: iman.roqan@kaust.edu.sa [Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 2955-6900 (Saudi Arabia)

2015-12-14

Several experimental studies have referred to the grain boundary (GB) defect as the origin of ferromagnetism in zinc oxide (ZnO). However, the mechanism of this hypothesis has never been confirmed. Present study investigates the atomic structure and the effect of point defects in a ZnO GB using the generalized gradient approximation+U approximation. The relaxed GB possesses large periodicity and channels with 8 and 10 numbered atoms having 4 and 3 fold coordination. The Zn vacancy (V{sub Zn}) shows a tendency to be attracted to the GB, relative to the bulk-like region. Although no magnetization is obtained from point defect-free GB, V{sub Zn} induces spin polarization as large as 0.68 μ{sub B}/atom to the O sites at the GB. Ferromagnetic exchange energy >150 eV is obtained by increasing the concentration of V{sub Zn} and by the injection of holes into the system. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the spin polarization without external dopants originates from the O 2p orbitals, a common feature of d{sup 0} semiconductors.

Pseudo 2-transistor active pixel sensor using an n-well/gate-tied p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field eeffect transistor-type photodetector with built-in transfer gate

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Sang-Ho; Seo, Min-Woong; Kong, Jae-Sung; Shin, Jang-Kyoo; Choi, Pyung

2008-11-01

In this paper, a pseudo 2-transistor active pixel sensor (APS) has been designed and fabricated by using an n-well/gate-tied p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (PMOSFET)-type photodetector with built-in transfer gate. The proposed sensor has been fabricated using a 0.35 μm 2-poly 4-metal standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic process. The pseudo 2-transistor APS consists of two NMOSFETs and one photodetector which can amplify the generated photocurrent. The area of the pseudo 2-transistor APS is 7.1 × 6.2 μm2. The sensitivity of the proposed pixel is 49 lux/(V·s). By using this pixel, a smaller pixel area and a higher level of sensitivity can be realized when compared with a conventional 3-transistor APS which uses a pn junction photodiode.

High-quality ZnO growth, doping, and polarization effect

Science.gov (United States)

Kun, Tang; Shulin, Gu; Jiandong, Ye; Shunming, Zhu; Rong, Zhang; Youdou, Zheng

2016-03-01

The authors have reported their recent progress in the research field of ZnO materials as well as the corresponding global advance. Recent results regarding (1) the development of high-quality epitaxy techniques, (2) the defect physics and the Te/N co-doping mechanism for p-type conduction, and (3) the design, realization, and properties of the ZnMgO/ZnO hetero-structures have been shown and discussed. A complete technology of the growth of high-quality ZnO epi-films and nano-crystals has been developed. The co-doping of N plus an iso-valent element to oxygen has been found to be the most hopeful path to overcome the notorious p-type hurdle. High mobility electrons have been observed in low-dimensional structures utilizing the polarization of ZnMgO and ZnO. Very different properties as well as new physics of the electrons in 2DEG and 3DES have been found as compared to the electrons in the bulk. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61025020, 61274058, 61322403, 61504057, 61574075), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BK2011437, BK20130013, BK20150585), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

Synthesis and their enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of ZnO nanoparticle-loaded CuO dandelion heterostructures under solar light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Guanying; Du, Bin; Liu, Lei; Zhang, Weiwei; Liang, Yujie; Shi, Honglong; Wang, Wenzhong, E-mail: wzhwangmuc@163.com

2017-03-31

Highlights: • ZnO/CuO nanoparticle/dandelion heterostructures were fabricated for the first time. • ZnO/CuO nanoparticle/dandelion heterostructures show enhanced PEC activity. • ZnO nanoparticle loading contents have significant effect on PEC water splitting. • Interaction, charge transfer and enhanced mechanism of photocatalyst were proposed. • p-n junction drives the photoexcited charges efficient separation. - Abstract: Here we report an easy and large-scale synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) ZnO nanoparticle-loaded CuO dandelion (denoted as n-ZnO/p-CuO nanoparticle/dandelion) heterostructures and their photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting under simulated solar light illumination. CuO dandelions were fabricated by a facile and cost-effective chemical strategy, in which the ribbon-like CuO nanoplates were first formed and then assembled into dandelion-like architectures. ZnO nanoparticle-loaded CuO dandelion heterostructures were fabricated by calcining Zn(Ac){sub 2}-loaded CuO dandelions. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) studies demonstrate that intimate p-n junction is built between p-CuO and n-ZnO interface. The n-ZnO/p-CuO nanoparticle/dandelion photoelectrodes exhibit significant improvement in PEC water splitting to CuO dandelion photoelectrodes. The correlation between photocurrents and different loading contents of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) is studied in which the n-ZnO/p-CuO nanoparticle/dandelion heterostructures with loading 4.6 wt% ZnO NPs show higher photocathodic current. The efficient separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes driven by the intimate p-n junction between p-type CuO and n-type ZnO interface is mainly contributed to the enhanced photoanode current. The achieved results in the present study offer a very useful strategy for designing p-n junction photoelectrodes for efficiency and low-cost PEC cells for clean solar hydrogen production.

Cobalt-doped ZnO as dilute magnetic semiconductor; Cobalt dotiertes ZnO als verduennter magnetischer Halbleiter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gacic, Milan

2009-04-24

Dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are technologically promising materials that show ferromagnetic as well as semiconducting properties. These are one of the crucial compounds concerning the development of spintronic devices. The main problem so far ist that for applications the Curie temperature of most of the DMS compounds is much too low. However, DMS compounds based on ZnO as Zn{sub 1-x}Co{sub x}O seem to show ferromagnetism above room temperature, but the ferromagnetic exchange is not fully understood. Intensive experimental investigations need to be done. In the course of this theses Zn{sub 0.95}Co{sub 0.05}O thin films were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition and investigated concerning their magnetic, magnetoelectric and structural properties in order to understand the ferromagnetism in this material. Different experimental methods have been used, as magnetometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), electron spin resonance (ESR) and magnetoelectric transport measurements. At special preparation conditions, where a high defect density is induced, the samples are clearly ferromagnetic above room temperature with a saturation magnetization of 2 {mu}{sub b}/Co and a remanence of 90%. Electrical transport measurements show a clear magnetoresistance as well as a anomalous Hall effect. The anomalous Hall effect rises with the magnetization indicating intrinsic ferromagnetism and a certain degree of spin polarization. As the ferromagnetism disappears with rising charge carrier density the ferromagnetic interaction cannot be mediated by the conduction electrons. A more precise evaluation of the magnetoelectric results shows that there is an additional conducting impurity band which could even be spinpolarized. So there are indications that the ferromagnetism is due to magnetic polarons. Some of the structural and magnetometric results as well as the electron spin resonance measurements suggest an additional extrinsic contribution

Piezoelectric and optoelectronic properties of electrospinning hybrid PVDF and ZnO nanofibers

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jian; Zhang, Qian; Lin, Kabin; Zhou, Lei; Ni, Zhonghua

2018-03-01

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a unique ferroelectric polymer with significant promise for energy harvesting, data storage, and sensing applications. ZnO is a wide direct band gap semiconductor (3.37 eV), commonly used as ultraviolet photodetectors, nanoelectronics, photonicsand piezoelectric generators. In this study, we produced high output piezoelectric energy harvesting materials using hybrid PVDF/ZnO nanofibers deposited via electrospinning. The strong electric fields and stretching forces during the electrospinning process helps to align dipoles in the nanofiber crystal such that the nonpolar α-phase (random orientation of dipoles) is transformed into polar β-phase in produced nanofibers. The effect of the additional ZnO nanowires on the nanofiber β-phase composition and output voltage are investigated. The maximum output voltage generated by a single hybrid PVDF and ZnO nanofiber (33 wt% ZnO nanowires) is over 300% of the voltage produced by a single nanofiber made of pure PVDF. The ZnO NWs served not only as a piezoelectric material, but also as a semiconducting material. The electrical conductivity of the hybrid PVDF/ZnO nanofibers increased by more than a factor of 4 when exposed under ultraviolet (UV) light.

Decreased Charge Transport Barrier and Recombination of Organic Solar Cells by Constructing Interfacial Nanojunction with Annealing-Free ZnO and Al Layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chunyu; Zhang, Dezhong; Li, Zhiqi; Zhang, Xinyuan; Guo, Wenbin; Zhang, Liu; Ruan, Shengping; Long, Yongbing

2017-07-05

To overcome drawbacks of the electron transport layer, such as complex surface defects and unmatched energy levels, we successfully employed a smart semiconductor-metal interfacial nanojunciton in organic solar cells by evaporating an ultrathin Al interlayer onto annealing-free ZnO electron transport layer, resulting in a high fill factor of 73.68% and power conversion efficiency of 9.81%. The construction of ZnO-Al nanojunction could effectively fill the surface defects of ZnO and reduce its work function because of the electron transfer from Al to ZnO by Fermi level equilibrium. The filling of surface defects decreased the interfacial carrier recombination in midgap trap states. The reduced surface work function of ZnO-Al remodulated the interfacial characteristics between ZnO and [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM), decreasing or even eliminating the interfacial barrier against the electron transport, which is beneficial to improve the electron extraction capacity. The filled surface defects and reduced interfacial barrier were realistically observed by photoluminescence measurements of ZnO film and the performance of electron injection devices, respectively. This work provides a simple and effective method to simultaneously solve the problems of surface defects and unmatched energy level for the annealing-free ZnO or other metal oxide semiconductors, paving a way for the future popularization in photovoltaic devices.

Investigation of photocalalytic activity of ZnO prepared by spray pyrolis with various precursors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourfaa, F; Lamri Zeggar, M; A, A; Aida, M S; Attaf, N

2016-01-01

Semiconductor photocatalysts such as ZnO has attracted much attention in recent years due to their various applications for the degradation of organic pollutants in water, air and in dye sensitized photovoltaic solar cell. In the present work, ZnO thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis by using different precursors namely: acetate, chloride and zinc nitrate in order to investigate their influence on ZnO photocatalytic activity. The films crystalline structure was studied by mean of X- ray diffraction measurements (XRD) and the films surface morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The films optical properties were studied by mean of UV-visible spectroscopy. The prepared films were tested for the degradation of the red reactive dye largely used in textile industry. As a result, we found that the zinc nitrate is the best precursor to prepare ZnO thin films suitable for a good photocatalytic activity. (paper)

A comparative study of ultraviolet photoconductivity relaxation in zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by different techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Gupta, Vinay

2012-01-01

Photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by three different techniques namely rf diode sputtering, rf magnetron sputtering, and electrophoretic deposition has been investigated in the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. A significant variation in the crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin film with change in growth kinetics suggest that the presence of defect centers and their density govern the photodetector relaxation properties. A relatively low density of traps compared to the true quantum yield is found very crucial for the realization of practical ZnO thin film based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector.

A comparative study of ultraviolet photoconductivity relaxation in zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by different techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007 (India)

2012-05-15

Photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by three different techniques namely rf diode sputtering, rf magnetron sputtering, and electrophoretic deposition has been investigated in the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. A significant variation in the crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin film with change in growth kinetics suggest that the presence of defect centers and their density govern the photodetector relaxation properties. A relatively low density of traps compared to the true quantum yield is found very crucial for the realization of practical ZnO thin film based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector.

Efficient color-tunable multiexcitonic dual wavelength emission from Type II semiconductor tetrapods.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wen-Ya; Li, Mingjie; Lian, Jie; Wu, Xiangyang; Yeow, Edwin K L; Jhon, Mark H; Chan, Yinthai

2014-09-23

We synthesized colloidal InP/ZnS seeded CdS tetrapods by harnessing the structural stability of the InP/ZnS seed nanocrystals at the high reaction temperatures needed to grow the CdS arms. Because of an unexpected Type II band alignment at the interface of the InP/ZnS core and CdS arms that enhanced the occurrence of radiative excitonic recombination in CdS, these tetrapods were found to be capable of exhibiting highly efficient multiexcitonic dual wavelength emission of equal intensity at spectrally distinct wavelengths of ∼485 and ∼675 nm. Additionally, the Type II InP/ZnS seeded CdS tetrapods displayed a wider range of pump-dependent emission color-tunability (from red to white to blue) within the context of a CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram and possessed higher photostability due to suppressed multiexcitonic Auger recombination when compared to conventional Type I CdSe seeded CdS tetrapods. By employing time-resolved spectroscopy measurements, we were able to attribute the wide emission color-tunability to the large valence band offset between InP and CdS. This work highlights the importance of band alignment in the synthetic design of semiconductor nanoheterostructures, which can exhibit color-tunable multiwavelength emission with high efficiency and photostability.

Effect of compressive stress on stability of N-doped p-type ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Xingyou [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3888 Dongnanhu Road, Changchun 130033 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang Zhenzhong; Jiang Mingming; Wang Shuangpeng; Li Binghui; Shan Chongxin; Liu Lei; Zhao Dongxu; Shen Dezhen [Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3888 Dongnanhu Road, Changchun 130033 (China); Yao Bin [State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials and College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China)

2011-08-29

Nitrogen-doped p-type zinc oxide (p-ZnO:N) thin films were fabricated on a-/c-plane sapphire (a-/c-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Hall-effect measurements show that the p-type ZnO:N on c-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} degenerated into n-type after a preservation time; however, the one grown on a-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} showed good stability. The conversion of conductivity in the one grown on c-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ascribed to the faster disappearance of N{sub O} and the growing N{sub 2(O)}, which is demonstrated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Compressive stress, caused by lattice misfit, was revealed by Raman spectra and optical absorption spectra, and it was regarded as the root of the instability in ZnO:N.

Layer configurations comparison of bilayer-films for EGFET pH sensor application

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, R. A.; Zulkefle, M. A.; Yusof, K. A.; Abdullah, W. F. H.; Rusop, M.; Herman, S. H.

2018-05-01

The comparison between bilayer configurations were presented in this paper. TiO2 and ZnO layer configurations were manipulated in order to investigate which configuration produce highest sensing performance to be applied as EGFET pH sensor. Both of the materials were deposited together as the bilayer film. The configurations were manipulated between TiO2/ZnO and ZnO/TiO2. ITO was used as the substrate in this study and both of the materials were deposited by using sol-gel spin coating technique. After deposition process, these bilayer film then undergone for EGFET pH sensor measurement and physical characterization. The EGFET pH sensor measurement was done by dipping the fabricated bilayer film into three different pH values, which is pH4, pH7 and pH10. Bilayer film act as the pH-sensitive membrane, which connected to the commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET was connected to the interfacing circuit. Voltage output obtained were recorded and the graph was plotted by using the data recorded. Based on the EGFET pH sensor measurement, TiO2/ZnO bilayer film exhibit higher sensing performance, compared with ZnO/TiO2. TiO2/ZnO bilayer film produced 53.10 mV/pH with the linearity value of 0.9913. Afterwards, fabricated bilayer films then were characterized with AFM to explore their surface roughness and surface topography behavior.

Nitrogen binding behavior in ZnO films with time-resolved cathodoluminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, Y.F.; Fu, Ricky K.Y.; Siu, G.G.; Wong, K.W.; Chu, Paul K.; Wang, R.S.; Ong, H.C.

2006-01-01

ZnO film with (1 0 0) orientation was produced on silicon substrate and doped with nitrogen using plasma immersion ion implantation. The effects due to N doping were investigated using cathodoluminescence (CL). In the heavily nitrogen-doped ZnO film, the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) band decreases and that of the visible band increases as a function of the electron bombardment cycle i.e. time. Based on the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the unstable Zn-N bond is responsible for the CL behavior and the experimental results agree well with the first-principle calculation. Our work is helpful to our understanding of the role of p-type dopants in ZnO

Characterizations of multilayer ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel spin coating technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Khan

Full Text Available In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO multilayer thin films are deposited on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique and the effect of these multilayer films on optical, electrical and structural properties are investigated. It is observed that these multilayer films have great impact on the properties of ZnO. X-ray Diffraction (XRD confirms that ZnO has hexagonal wurtzite structure. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM showed the crack-free films which have uniformly distributed grains structures. Both micro and nano particles of ZnO are present on thin films. Four point probe measured the electrical properties showed the decreasing trend between the average resistivity and the number of layers. The optical absorption spectra measured using UV–Vis. showed the average transmittance in the visible region of all films is 80% which is good for solar spectra. The performance of the multilayer as transparent conducting material is better than the single layer of ZnO. This work provides a low cost, environment friendly and well abandoned material for solar cells applications. Keywords: Multilayer films, Semiconductor, ZnO, XRD, SEM, Optoelectronic properties

Stable and Fast-Response Capacitive Humidity Sensors Based on a ZnO Nanopowder/PVP-RGO Multilayer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Yang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, capacitive-type humidity sensors were prepared by sequentially drop-coating the aqueous suspensions of zinc oxide (ZnO nanopowders and polyvinyl pyrrolidone–reduced graphene oxide (PVP-RGO nanocomposites onto interdigitated electrodes. Significant improvements in both sensitivity and linearity were achieved for the ZnO/PVP-RGO sensors compared with the PVP-RGO/ZnO, PVP-RGO, and ZnO counterparts. Moreover, the produced ZnO/PVP-RGO sensors exhibited rather small hysteresis, fast response-recovery time, and long-term stability. Based on morphological and structural analyses, it can be inferred that the excellent humidity sensing properties of the ZnO/PVP-RGO sensors may be attributed to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the multilayer structure and the supporting roles of the PVP-RGO nanocomposites. The results in this work hence provide adequate guidelines for designing high-performance humidity sensors that make use of the multilayer structure of semiconductor oxide materials and PVP-RGO nanocomposites.

Transparent Oxide Semiconductors for Emerging Electronics

KAUST Repository

Caraveo-Frescas, Jesus Alfonso

2013-11-01

Transparent oxide electronics have emerged as promising materials to shape the future of electronics. While several n-type oxides have been already studied and demonstrated feasibility to be used as active materials in thin film transistors, high performance p-type oxides have remained elusive. This dissertation is devoted to the study of transparent p-type oxide semiconductor tin monoxide and its use in the fabrication of field effect devices. A complete study on the deposition of tin monoxide thin films by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering is performed. Carrier density, carrier mobility and conductivity are studied over a set of deposition conditions where p-type conduction is observed. Density functional theory simulations are performed in order to elucidate the effect of native defects on carrier mobility. The findings on the electrical properties of SnO thin films are then translated to the fabrication of thin films transistors. The low processing temperature of tin monoxide thin films below 200 oC is shown advantageous for the fabrication of fully transparent and flexible thin film transistors. After careful device engineering, including post deposition annealing temperature, gate dielectric material, semiconductor thickness and source and drain electrodes material, thin film transistors with record device performance are demonstrated, achieving a field effect mobility >6.7 cm2V-1s-1. Device performance is further improved to reach a field effect mobility of 10.8 cm2V-1s-1 in SnO nanowire field effect transistors fabricated from the sputtered SnO thin films and patterned by electron beam lithography. Downscaling device dimension to nano scale is shown beneficial for SnO field effect devices not only by achieving a higher hole mobility but enhancing the overall device performance including better threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and lower number of interfacial defects. Use of p-type semiconductors in nonvolatile memory applications is then

Lasing in ZnO and CdS nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thielmann, Andreas; Geburt, Sebastian; Kozlik, Michael; Kuehnel, Julian; Borschel, Christian; Ronning, Carsten [Institut fuer Festkoerperphysik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena (Germany)

2011-07-01

The development of nanoscaled semiconductor lasers could be the key resolution to the still persistent size mismatch between integrated microelectronic devices and semiconductor optoelectronic devices. Semiconductor nanowires offer an elegant path to the development of nanoscaled lasers as their geometry with two planar end facets naturally combines a fiber-like waveguide with an optical resonator. The possible stimulation of the material's emission processes enables lasing of resonant optical modes. ZnO and CdS nanowires of different aspect ratios have been synthesized via the VLS mechanism and were characterized by SEM, EDX and ensemble PL measurements. Power dependent PL measurements on single nanowires excited with pulsed laser light at 355 nm have been performed between 10 K and room temperature and were set in correlation to the nanowires' respective morphology. Sharp emission lines which show characteristics of Fabry-Perot modes could be observed above a power threshold. The measured power dependencies reveal amplified stimulated emission and lasing at high excitation densities.

First-principles study on electronic and magnetic properties of (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Huawei; Lu, Pengfei; Cai, Ningning; Zhang, Xianlong; Yu, Zhongyuan; Gao, Tao; Wang, Shumin

2014-01-01

First-principle calculations have been performed to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U schemes. The formation energy of five different configurations is investigated and the ground state is demonstrated to be ferromagnetic ordering. By applying the U correction, the band gap energy of pure ZnO is close to the experimental values, while the ferromagnetic ordering of the ground state remains unchanged. The ferromagnetic stabilization is mediated by double exchange mechanism. In addition, defects corresponding to Zn-vacancy and O-vacancy cannot enhance the ferromagnetism obviously. These results indicate that (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO are promising magneto-electronic and spintronic materials. - Highlights: • We have considered 5 different configurations of Mn/Fe codoped bulk ZnO. • The formation energy is calculated to investigate the structural stability. • The double exchange mechanism is responsible for the ferromagnetic behavior. • Defects are not effective method to get room temperature ferromagnetism. • Mn/Fe codoped ZnO are promising ferromagnetic semiconductor materials

First-principles study on electronic and magnetic properties of (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Huawei [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Lu, Pengfei, E-mail: photon.bupt@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Cai, Ningning; Zhang, Xianlong; Yu, Zhongyuan [Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100876 (China); Gao, Tao [Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Wang, Shumin [State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China); Photonics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Gothenburg (Sweden)

2014-02-15

First-principle calculations have been performed to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA+U schemes. The formation energy of five different configurations is investigated and the ground state is demonstrated to be ferromagnetic ordering. By applying the U correction, the band gap energy of pure ZnO is close to the experimental values, while the ferromagnetic ordering of the ground state remains unchanged. The ferromagnetic stabilization is mediated by double exchange mechanism. In addition, defects corresponding to Zn-vacancy and O-vacancy cannot enhance the ferromagnetism obviously. These results indicate that (Mn,Fe)-codoped ZnO are promising magneto-electronic and spintronic materials. - Highlights: • We have considered 5 different configurations of Mn/Fe codoped bulk ZnO. • The formation energy is calculated to investigate the structural stability. • The double exchange mechanism is responsible for the ferromagnetic behavior. • Defects are not effective method to get room temperature ferromagnetism. • Mn/Fe codoped ZnO are promising ferromagnetic semiconductor materials.

Physical deoxygenation of graphene oxide paper surface and facile in situ synthesis of graphene based ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Jijun; Wang, Minqiang; Zhang, Xiangyu; Ran, Chenxin; Shao, Jinyou; Ding, Yucheng

2014-01-01

In-situ sputtering ZnO films on graphene oxide (GO) paper are used to fabricate graphene based ZnO films. Crystal structure and surface chemical states are investigated. Results indicated that GO paper can be effectively deoxygenated by in-situ sputtering ZnO on them without adding any reducing agent. Based on the principle of radio frequency magnetron sputtering, we propose that during magnetron sputtering process, plasma streams contain large numbers of electrons. These electrons not only collide with argon atoms to produce secondary electrons but also they are accelerated to bombard the substrates (GO paper) resulting in effective deoxygenation of oxygen-containing functional groups. In-situ sputtering ZnO films on GO paper provide an approach to design graphene-semiconductor nanocomposites

Large-scale syntheses of uniform ZnO nanorods and ethanol gas sensors application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jin; Li Jin; Li Jiahui; Xiao Guoqing; Yang Xiaofeng

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The uniform ZnO nanorods could be synthesized by a low temperature, solution-based method. → The results showed that the sample had uniform rod-like morphology with a narrow size distribution and highly crystallinity. → Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra of these nanorods show an exciton emission around 382 nm and a weak deep level emission, indicating the nanorods have high quality. → The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to ethanol gas at a work temperature of 400 deg. C. - Abstract: Uniform ZnO nanorods with a gram scale were prepared by a low temperature and solution-based method. The samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). The results showed that the sample had uniform rod-like morphology with a narrow size distribution and highly crystallinity. Room-temperature PL spectra of these nanorods show an exciton emission around 382 nm and a negligible deep level emission, indicating the nanorods have high quality. The gas-sensing properties of the materials have been investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared nanorods show much better sensitivity and stability. The n-type semiconductor gas sensor exhibited high sensitivity and fast response to ethanol gas at a work temperature of 400 deg. C. ZnO nanorods are excellent potential candidates for highly sensitive gas sensors and ultraviolet laser.

Spectroscopic investigations on the interaction of thioacetamide with ZnO quantum dots and application for its fluorescence sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Dipika; Negi, Devendra P S

2018-01-15

The purpose of the present work was to develop a method for the sensing of thioacetamide by using spectroscopic techniques. Thioacetamide is a carcinogen and it is important to detect its presence in food-stuffs. Semiconductor quantum dots are frequently employed as sensing probes since their absorption and fluorescence properties are highly sensitive to the interaction with substrates present in the solution. In the present work, the interaction between thioacetamide and ZnO quantum dots has been investigated by using UV-visible, fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. Besides, dynamic light scattering (DLS) has also been utilized for the interaction studies. UV-visible absorption studies indicated the bonding of the lone pair of sulphur atom of thioacetamide with the surface of the semiconductor. The fluorescence band of the ZnO quantum dots was found to be quenched in the presence of micromolar concentrations of thioacetamide. The quenching was found to follow the Stern-Volmer relationship. The Stern-Volmer constant was evaluated to be 1.20×10 5 M -1 . Infrared spectroscopic measurements indicated the participation of the NH 2 group and the sulphur atom of thioacetamide in bonding with the surface of the ZnO quantum dots. DLS measurements indicated that the surface charge of the semiconductor was shielded by the thioacetamide molecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Signatures of Quantized Energy States in Solution-Processed Ultrathin Layers of Metal-Oxide Semiconductors and Their Devices

KAUST Repository

Labram, John G.

2015-02-13

Physical phenomena such as energy quantization have to-date been overlooked in solution-processed inorganic semiconducting layers, owing to heterogeneity in layer thickness uniformity unlike some of their vacuum-deposited counterparts. Recent reports of the growth of uniform, ultrathin (<5 nm) metal-oxide semiconductors from solution, however, have potentially opened the door to such phenomena manifesting themselves. Here, a theoretical framework is developed for energy quantization in inorganic semiconductor layers with appreciable surface roughness, as compared to the mean layer thickness, and present experimental evidence of the existence of quantized energy states in spin-cast layers of zinc oxide (ZnO). As-grown ZnO layers are found to be remarkably continuous and uniform with controllable thicknesses in the range 2-24 nm and exhibit a characteristic widening of the energy bandgap with reducing thickness in agreement with theoretical predictions. Using sequentially spin-cast layers of ZnO as the bulk semiconductor and quantum well materials, and gallium oxide or organic self-assembled monolayers as the barrier materials, two terminal electronic devices are demonstrated, the current-voltage characteristics of which resemble closely those of double-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes. As-fabricated all-oxide/hybrid devices exhibit a characteristic negative-differential conductance region with peak-to-valley ratios in the range 2-7.

Preparation of ZnO film on p-Si and I-V characteristics of p-Si/n-ZnO

OpenAIRE

Mondal, Shampa; Kanta, Kalyani Prasad; Mitra, Partha

2012-01-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on p-silicon (Si) substrate from ammonium zincate bath following a chemical dipping technique called SILAR. Films in the thickness range 0.5-4.5 µm could be prepared by varying the number of dipping for a fixed concentration (0.125 M) of zincate bath and fixed pH (11.00-11.10). Higher values of dipping produced nonadherent and poor quality films. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates the formation of polycrystalline single ...

Nanocompósitos semicondutores ZnO/TiO2: testes fotocatalíticos ZnO/TiO2 semiconductor nanocomposites: photocatalytic tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirley Santana Silva

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide is an efficient photocatalist, being possible to improve its efficiency with better charge separation which occurs when it is coupled with other semiconductors. Nanometric particles of ZnO were used to impregnate TiO2 P25 in order to optimize its photocatalytic properties. ZnO/TiO2 composites were obtained at different proportions and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, micro-Raman and diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, measurement of surface area (BET and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Raman spectroscopy data revealed a change on the TiO2 surface due the presence of ZnO which was observed by an enlargement of TiO2 peaks and a change on the relation rate between anatase and rutile phases of the composites. The photodegradation of azo-dye Drimaren red revealed better efficiency for ZnO/TiO2 3% nanocomposite and for ZnO pure.

Effects of Temperature on the Microstructure and Magnetic Property of Cr-Doped ZnO DMS Prepared by Hydrothermal Route Assisted by Pulsed Magnetic Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiwei Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the present work, Cr-doped ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductor was synthesized by hydrothermal method under pulsed magnetic fields. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, VSM, Raman, and XPS techniques. Results demonstrated that Zn ions in the ZnO crystal lattice were partially displaced by Chromium (III ions. All samples show room temperature ferromagnetism which was enhanced by pulsed magnetic fields. The mechanism of ferromagnetism of Cr-doped ZnO particles was discussed.

Dynamic hyperfine interactions in {sup 111}In({sup 111}Cd)-doped ZnO semiconductor: PAC results supported by ab initio calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, Emiliano L., E-mail: munoz@fisica.unlp.edu.ar [Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CONICET La Plata), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CC 67, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Mercurio, Marcio E.; Cordeiro, Moacir R.; Pereira, Luciano F.D.; Carbonari, Artur W. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas y Nucleares-IPEN-CNEN/SP, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Renteria, Mario [Departamento de Fisica and Instituto de Fisica La Plata (IFLP, CONICET La Plata), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CC 67, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)

2012-08-15

In this work, we present results of Time-Differential {gamma}-{gamma} Perturbed-Angular-Correlations (PAC) experiments performed in {sup 111}Cd-doped ZnO semiconductor. The PAC technique has been applied in order to characterize the electric-field-gradient (EFG) tensor at ({sup 111}In (EC){yields}) {sup 111}Cd nuclei located, as was later demonstrated, at defect-free cation sites of the ZnO host structure. The PAC experiments were performed in the temperature range of 77-1075 K. At first glance, the unexpected presence of low-intensity dynamic hyperfine interactions was observed, which were analyzed with a perturbation factor based on the Baeverstam and Othaz model. The experimental EFG results were compared with ab initio calculations performed with the Full-Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital (FP-APW+lo) method, in the framework of the Density Functional Theory (DFT), using the Wien2K code. The presence of the dynamic hyperfine interactions has been analyzed enlightened by the FP-APW+lo calculations of the EFG performed as a function of the charge state of the cell. We could correlate the large strength of the dynamic hyperfine interaction with the strong variation of the EFG due to changes in the electronic charge distribution in the Cd vicinity during the time-window of the PAC measurement. It was also revealed that the Cd impurity decays to a final stable neutral charge state (Cd{sup 2+}) fast enough (in few ns) to produce the nearly undamped observed PAC spectra.

PdO doping tunes band-gap energy levels as well as oxidative stress responses to a Co₃O₄ p-type semiconductor in cells and the lung.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haiyuan; Pokhrel, Suman; Ji, Zhaoxia; Meng, Huan; Wang, Xiang; Lin, Sijie; Chang, Chong Hyun; Li, Linjiang; Li, Ruibin; Sun, Bingbing; Wang, Meiying; Liao, Yu-Pei; Liu, Rong; Xia, Tian; Mädler, Lutz; Nel, André E

2014-04-30

We demonstrate through PdO doping that creation of heterojunctions on Co3O4 nanoparticles can quantitatively adjust band-gap and Fermi energy levels to study the impact of metal oxide nanoparticle semiconductor properties on cellular redox homeostasis and hazard potential. Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) was used to synthesize a nanoparticle library in which the gradual increase in the PdO content (0-8.9%) allowed electron transfer from Co3O4 to PdO to align Fermi energy levels across the heterojunctions. This alignment was accompanied by free hole accumulation at the Co3O4 interface and production of hydroxyl radicals. Interestingly, there was no concomitant superoxide generation, which could reflect the hole dominance of a p-type semiconductor. Although the electron flux across the heterojunctions induced upward band bending, the E(c) levels of the doped particles showed energy overlap with the biological redox potential (BRP). This allows electron capture from the redox couples that maintain the BRP from -4.12 to -4.84 eV, causing disruption of cellular redox homeostasis and induction of oxidative stress. PdO/Co3O4 nanoparticles showed significant increases in cytotoxicity at 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL, which was enhanced incrementally by PdO doping in BEAS-2B and RAW 264.7 cells. Oxidative stress presented as a tiered cellular response involving superoxide generation, glutathione depletion, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity in epithelial and macrophage cell lines. A progressive series of acute pro-inflammatory effects could also be seen in the lungs of animals exposed to incremental PdO-doped particles. All considered, generation of a combinatorial PdO/Co3O4 nanoparticle library with incremental heterojunction density allowed us to demonstrate the integrated role of E(v), E(c), and E(f) levels in the generation of oxidant injury and inflammation by the p-type semiconductor, Co3O4.

A study of Eu incorporated ZnO thin films: An application of Al/ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turgut, G. [Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Science, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Duman, S., E-mail: sduman@atauni.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Sonmez, E. [Department of Physics, Faculty of K.K. Education, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey); Ozcelik, F.S. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ataturk University, Erzurum, 25240 (Turkey)

2016-04-15

Highlights: • Eu incorporated ZnO thin films were grown by sol–gel spin coating. • The influence of Eu contribution on features of ZnO was investigated. • Al/ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diodes were also fabricated. • The diode parameters were calculated from I–V measurements. - Abstract: In present work, the pure and europium (Eu) incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited with sol-gel spin coating by using zinc acetate dehydrate and Eu (III) chloride salts. The coated films were examined by means of XRD, AFM and UV/VIS spectrophotometer. The ZnO hexagonal wurtzite nanoparticles with (002) preferential direction were observed for all films. The values of crystallite size, micro-strain and surface roughness continuously increased from 21 nm, 1.10 × 10{sup −3} and 2.43 nm to the values of 35.56 nm, 1.98 × 10{sup −3} and 28.99 nm with Eu doping, respectively. The optical band gap value of the pure ZnO initially increased from 3.296 eV to 3.328 eV with Eu doping up to 2 at.% doping level, then it started to decrease with more Eu content. The electrical features of Al/n-ZnO:Eu/p-Si heterojunction diodes were inquired by current-voltage (I–V) measurements at the room temperature.

Photoluminescence studies of ZnO doped with stable and radioactive impurities

CERN Document Server

Cullen, Joseph; Martin O, Henry

In this work the IIb-VI compound semiconductor ZnO is doped, via ion implantation of stable and radioactive isotopes, in order to investigate the chemical nature of exciton re-combinations bound to previously unidentified defects. Photo-luminescence (PL) is discussed and is used extensively as the primary investigative technique. A new defect emission feature, centred around 3.324 eV, is found to be related to Ge impurities occupying substitutional Zn sites in ZnO. This centre is investigated by temperature dependent PL, piezo-spectroscopy and Zeeman spectroscopy. The centre is donor-like in nature. Uniaxial stress measurements indicate that the defect centre has trigonal symmetry and applied magnetic field measurements reveal the neutral charge state of the centre and the donor-like binding mechanism. Subsequent to this, a study is undertaken of the iso-electronic defect Hg in ZnO studying the zero phonon feature at 3.279 eV and its associated phonon replica band. Temperature dependent measurements reveal tw...

Nanoscaled Electrocatalytic Optically Modulated ZnO Nanoparticles through Green Process of Punica granatum L. and Their Antibacterial Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xolile Fuku

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Most recently, green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles has become an interesting subject of the nanoscience and nanotechnology. The use of plant systems has been deemed a green route and a dependable method for nanoparticle biosynthesis, owing to its environmental friendly nature. The present work demonstrates the bioreductive green synthesis of nanosized zinc oxide (ZnO using peel extracts of pomegranate. Highly crystalline ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs which are 5 nm in particle size were characterised by HRTEM and XRD. FT-IR spectra confirmed the presence of the biomolecules and formation of plant protein-coated ZnO NPs and also the pure ZnO NPs. Electrochemical investigation revealed the redox properties and the conductivity of the as-prepared ZnO nanoparticles. The optical band gap of ZnO NPs was calculated to be 3.48 eV which indicates that ZnO NPs can be used in metal oxide semiconductor-based devices. Further, the nanomaterials were also found to be good inhibitors of bacterial strains at both low and high concentrations of 5–10 mg mL−1.

Chemical bath deposited PbS thin films on ZnO nanowires for photovoltaic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gertman, Ronen [Dept of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be' er Sheva 84105 (Israel); Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be' er Sheva 84105 (Israel); Osherov, Anna; Golan, Yuval [Dept of Materials Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be' er Sheva 84105 (Israel); Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be' er Sheva 84105 (Israel); Visoly-Fisher, Iris, E-mail: irisvf@bgu.ac.il [Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be' er Sheva 84105 (Israel); Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus 84990 (Israel)

2014-01-01

Photovoltaic devices usually exploit mid-range band-gap semiconductors which absorb in the visible range of the solar spectrum. However, much energy is lost in the IR and near-IR range. We combined the advantages of small band-gap, bulk-like PbS deposited by facile, cheap and direct chemical bath deposition (CBD), with the good electronic properties of ZnO and the large surface area of nanowires, towards low cost photovoltaic devices utilizing IR and near-IR light. Surprisingly, CBD of PbS on ZnO, and particularly on ZnO nanowires, was not studied hitherto. Therefore, the mechanism of PbS growth by chemical bath deposition on ZnO nanowires was studied in details. A visible proof is shown for a growth mechanism starting from amorphous Pb(OH){sub 2} layer, that evolved into the ‘ion-by-ion’ growth mechanism. The growth mechanism and the resulting morphology at low temperatures were controlled by the thiourea concentration. The grain size affected the magnitude of the band-gap and was controlled by the deposition temperatures. Deposition above 40 °C resulted in bulk-like PbS with an optical band-gap of 0.4 eV. Methods were demonstrated for achieving complete PbS coverage of the complex ZnO NW architecture, a crucial requirement in optoelectronic devices to prevent shorts. Measurements of photocurrents under white and near-IR (784 nm) illumination showed that despite a 200 meV barrier for electron transfer at the PbS/ZnO interface, extraction of photo-electrons from PbS to the ZnO was feasible. The ability to harvest electrons from a narrow band-gap semiconductor deposited on a large surface-area electrode can advance the field towards high efficiency, low cost IR and near-IR sensors and third generation solar cells. - Highlights: • PbS was deposited on ZnO nanowires using chemical bath deposition. • At 50 °C the growth mechanism starts from an amorphous Pb(OH){sub 2} layer. • At 5 °C the growth mechanism of PbS can be controlled by thiourea concentrations

P-N semiconductor junctions used as X-ray detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pela, C.A.; Bruco, J.L.; Navas, E.A.; Paula, E. de; Guilardi Neto, T.

1987-01-01

The current response of some comercial P-N semiconductor junctions in function of X-ray incidency, in 40 to 140 KVp band used in diagnosis was characterized. Some junctions were also exposed to radiation of 80 to 250 KVp used in therapy. (C.G.C.) [pt

Solvothermal Synthesis of One-Dimensional Transition Metal Doped ZnO Nanocrystals and Their Applications in Smart Window Devices

OpenAIRE

Šutka, A; Timusk, M; Kisand, V; Saal, K; Joost, U; Lõhmus, R

2015-01-01

Oxide semiconductor nanowire (NW) suspension based devices have been attracted growing interest in smart window applications due to their great controllability of light transmittance, simplicity and long term stability. Recently, we demonstrated smart window device using the suspension of electrospun TiO2 or solvothermally synthesized ZnO NWs in viscous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The operating principle of the oxide semiconductor NW and PDMS device is based on the alterable orientati...

Self-aligned nanocrystalline ZnO hexagons by facile solid-state and co-precipitation route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorat, J. H.; Kanade, K. G.; Nikam, L. K.; Chaudhari, P. D.; Panmand, R. P.; Kale, B. B.

2012-01-01

In this study, we report the synthesis of well-aligned nanocrystalline hexagonal zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles by facile solid-state and co-precipitation method. The co-precipitation reactions were performed using aqueous and ethylene glycol (EG) medium using zinc acetate and adipic acid to obtain zinc adipate and further decomposition at 450 °C to confer nanocrystalline ZnO hexagons. XRD shows the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO. Thermal study reveals complete formation of ZnO at 430 °C in case of solid-state method, whereas in case of co-precipitation method complete formation was observed at 400 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscope shows spherical morphology for ZnO synthesized by solid-state method. The aqueous-mediated ZnO by co-precipitation method shows rod-like morphology. These rods are formed via self assembling of spherical nanoparticles, however, uniformly dispersed spherical crystallites were seen in EG-mediated ZnO. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations clearly show well aligned and highly crystalline transparent and thin hexagonal ZnO. The particle size was measured using TEM and was observed to be 50–60 nm in case of solid-state method and aqueous-mediated co-precipitation method, while 25–50 nm in case of EG-mediated co-precipitation method. UV absorption spectra showed sharp absorption peaks with a blue shift for EG-mediated ZnO, which demonstrate the mono-dispersed lower particle size. The band gap of the ZnO was observed to be 3.4 eV which is higher than the bulk, implies nanocrystalline nature of the ZnO. The photoluminescence studies clearly indicate the strong violet and weak blue emission in ZnO nanoparticles which is quite unique. The process investigated may be useful to synthesize other oxide semiconductors and transition metal oxides.

Self-aligned nanocrystalline ZnO hexagons by facile solid-state and co-precipitation route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thorat, J. H. [Mahatma Phule College, Department of Chemistry (India); Kanade, K. G. [Annasaheb Awate College (India); Nikam, L. K. [B.G. College (India); Chaudhari, P. D.; Panmand, R. P.; Kale, B. B., E-mail: kbbb1@yahoo.com [Center for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) (India)

2012-02-15

In this study, we report the synthesis of well-aligned nanocrystalline hexagonal zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles by facile solid-state and co-precipitation method. The co-precipitation reactions were performed using aqueous and ethylene glycol (EG) medium using zinc acetate and adipic acid to obtain zinc adipate and further decomposition at 450 Degree-Sign C to confer nanocrystalline ZnO hexagons. XRD shows the hexagonal wurtzite structure of the ZnO. Thermal study reveals complete formation of ZnO at 430 Degree-Sign C in case of solid-state method, whereas in case of co-precipitation method complete formation was observed at 400 Degree-Sign C. Field emission scanning electron microscope shows spherical morphology for ZnO synthesized by solid-state method. The aqueous-mediated ZnO by co-precipitation method shows rod-like morphology. These rods are formed via self assembling of spherical nanoparticles, however, uniformly dispersed spherical crystallites were seen in EG-mediated ZnO. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations clearly show well aligned and highly crystalline transparent and thin hexagonal ZnO. The particle size was measured using TEM and was observed to be 50-60 nm in case of solid-state method and aqueous-mediated co-precipitation method, while 25-50 nm in case of EG-mediated co-precipitation method. UV absorption spectra showed sharp absorption peaks with a blue shift for EG-mediated ZnO, which demonstrate the mono-dispersed lower particle size. The band gap of the ZnO was observed to be 3.4 eV which is higher than the bulk, implies nanocrystalline nature of the ZnO. The photoluminescence studies clearly indicate the strong violet and weak blue emission in ZnO nanoparticles which is quite unique. The process investigated may be useful to synthesize other oxide semiconductors and transition metal oxides.

Fast synthesize ZnO quantum dots via ultrasonic method.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weimin; Zhang, Bing; Ding, Nan; Ding, Wenhao; Wang, Lixi; Yu, Mingxun; Zhang, Qitu

2016-05-01

Green emission ZnO quantum dots were synthesized by an ultrasonic sol-gel method. The ZnO quantum dots were synthesized in various ultrasonic temperature and time. Photoluminescence properties of these ZnO quantum dots were measured. Time-resolved photoluminescence decay spectra were also taken to discover the change of defects amount during the reaction. Both ultrasonic temperature and time could affect the type and amount of defects in ZnO quantum dots. Total defects of ZnO quantum dots decreased with the increasing of ultrasonic temperature and time. The dangling bonds defects disappeared faster than the optical defects. Types of optical defects first changed from oxygen interstitial defects to oxygen vacancy and zinc interstitial defects. Then transformed back to oxygen interstitial defects again. The sizes of ZnO quantum dots would be controlled by both ultrasonic temperature and time as well. That is, with the increasing of ultrasonic temperature and time, the sizes of ZnO quantum dots first decreased then increased. Moreover, concentrated raw materials solution brought larger sizes and more optical defects of ZnO quantum dots. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toward designing semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunctions for photocatalytic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liping; Jaroniec, Mietek

2018-02-01

Semiconductor photocatalysts show a great potential for environmental and energy-related applications, however one of the major disadvantages is their relatively low photocatalytic performance due to the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Therefore, intensive research is being conducted toward design of heterojunctions, which have been shown to be effective for improving the charge-transfer properties and efficiency of photocatalysts. According to the type of band alignment and direction of internal electric field, heterojunctions are categorized into five different types, each of which is associated with its own charge transfer characteristics. Since the design of heterojunctions requires the knowledge of band edge positions of component semiconductors, the commonly used techniques for the assessment of band edge positions are reviewed. Among them the electronegativity-based calculation method is applied for a large number of popular visible-light-active semiconductors, including some widely investigated bismuth-containing semiconductors. On basis of the calculated band edge positions and the type of component semiconductors reported, heterojunctions composed of the selected bismuth-containing semiconductors are proposed. Finally, the most popular synthetic techniques for the fabrication of heterojunctions are briefly discussed.

Electrical and optical properties of a n-type ZnO thin film deposited on a Si substrate by using a double RF Co-sputtering method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jonghyun; Choi, Wonjoon; Kim, Chaeok; Hong, Jinpyo; Nahm, Tschanguh [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, Hyeonsik [Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2006-09-15

Outstanding n-type ZnO thin films were prepared on Si substrates by utilizing a double RF cosputtering method. Our unique double RF technique has many attractive merits for synthesizing ZnO thin films with excellent optoelectronic properties at various temperatures. The ZnO thin films were also post-annealed at various temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated well-grown ZnO films with a (002) orientation and with gorgeous chemically bond states, respectively. In addition, photoluminescence measurements indicated a band-gap of 3.4 eV in the ZnO films. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that the as-grown ZnO thin film had hexagonal column shapes, such as hexagonal rods. The ZnO film exhibited an UV light response with a cut-off wavelength of {approx}370 nm at room temperature.

Energy Level Alignment at Aqueous GaN and ZnO Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Hybertsen, Mark S.; Kharche, Neerav; Muckerman, James T.

2014-03-01

Electronic energy level alignment at semiconductor-electrolyte interfaces is fundamental to electrochemical activity. Motivated in particular by the search for new materials that can be more efficient for photocatalysis, we develop a first principles method to calculate this alignment at aqueous interfaces and demonstrate it for the specific case of non-polar GaN and ZnO interfaces with water. In the first step, density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamics is used to sample the physical interface structure and to evaluate the electrostatic potential step at the interface. In the second step, the GW approach is used to evaluate the reference electronic energy level separately in the bulk semiconductor (valence band edge energy) and in bulk water (the 1b1 energy level), relative to the internal electrostatic energy reference. Use of the GW approach naturally corrects for errors inherent in the use of Kohn-Sham energy eigenvalues to approximate the electronic excitation energies in each material. With this predicted interface alignment, specific redox levels in water, with potentials known relative to the 1b1 level, can then be compared to the semiconductor band edge positions. Our results will be discussed in the context of experiments in which photoexcited GaN and ZnO drive the hydrogen evolution reaction. Research carried out at Brookhaven National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Identification of conduction and hot electron property in ZnS, ZnO and SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Jinzhao; Xu Zheng; Zhao Suling; Li Yuan; Yuan Guangcai; Wang Yongsheng; Xu Xurong

2007-01-01

The impact excitation and ionization is the most important process in layered optimization scheme and solid state cathodoluminescence. The conduction property (semiconductor property) of SiO 2 , ZnS and ZnO is studied based on organic/inorganic electroluminescence. The hot electron property (acceleration and multiplication property) of SiO 2 and ZnS is investigated based on the solid state cathodoluminescence. The results show that the SiO 2 has the fine hot electron property and the conduction property is not as good as ZnO and ZnS

Growth stimulation of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida using nanostructured ZnO thin film as transducer element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loukanov, Alexandre; Filipov, Chavdar; Valcheva, Violeta; Lecheva, Marta; Emin, Saim

2015-01-01

The semiconductor zinc oxide nanomaterial (ZnO or ZnO:H) is widely used in advanced biosensor technology for the design of highly-sensitive detector elements for various applications. In the attempt to evaluate its effect on common microorganisms, two types of nanostructured transducer films have been used (average diameter 600–1000 nm). They have been prepared by using both wet sol–gel method and magnetron sputtering. Their polycrystalline structure and specific surface features have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscope. The assessment of growth stimulation of bacteria was determined using epifluorescent microscope by cell staining with Live/Dead BacLight kit. In our experiments, the growth stimulation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on nanostructured ZnO film is demonstrated by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida. These two bacterial species have been selected, because they are well known and studied in biosensor technologies, with structural difference of their cell walls. These pathogens are easy for with common source in the liquid food or some commercial products. Our data has revealed that the method of transducer film preparation influences strongly bacterial inhibition and division. These results present the transforming signal precisely, when ZnO is used in biosensor applications

Growth stimulation of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida using nanostructured ZnO thin film as transducer element

Science.gov (United States)

Loukanov, Alexandre; Filipov, Chavdar; Valcheva, Violeta; Lecheva, Marta; Emin, Saim

2015-04-01

The semiconductor zinc oxide nanomaterial (ZnO or ZnO:H) is widely used in advanced biosensor technology for the design of highly-sensitive detector elements for various applications. In the attempt to evaluate its effect on common microorganisms, two types of nanostructured transducer films have been used (average diameter 600-1000 nm). They have been prepared by using both wet sol-gel method and magnetron sputtering. Their polycrystalline structure and specific surface features have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscope. The assessment of growth stimulation of bacteria was determined using epifluorescent microscope by cell staining with Live/Dead BacLight kit. In our experiments, the growth stimulation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on nanostructured ZnO film is demonstrated by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida. These two bacterial species have been selected, because they are well known and studied in biosensor technologies, with structural difference of their cell walls. These pathogens are easy for with common source in the liquid food or some commercial products. Our data has revealed that the method of transducer film preparation influences strongly bacterial inhibition and division. These results present the transforming signal precisely, when ZnO is used in biosensor applications.

Growth stimulation of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida using nanostructured ZnO thin film as transducer element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loukanov, Alexandre, E-mail: loukanov@mail.saitama-u.ac.jp [Saitama University, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science (Japan); Filipov, Chavdar [University of Forestry, Department of Infectious pathology, hygiene, technology and control of food stuffs of animal origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (Bulgaria); Valcheva, Violeta [Bulgarian Academy of Science, Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of microbiology (Bulgaria); Lecheva, Marta [University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”, Laboratory of Engineering NanoBiotechnology, Department of Engineering Geoecology (Bulgaria); Emin, Saim [University of Nova Gorica, Materials Research Laboratory (Slovenia)

2015-04-15

The semiconductor zinc oxide nanomaterial (ZnO or ZnO:H) is widely used in advanced biosensor technology for the design of highly-sensitive detector elements for various applications. In the attempt to evaluate its effect on common microorganisms, two types of nanostructured transducer films have been used (average diameter 600–1000 nm). They have been prepared by using both wet sol–gel method and magnetron sputtering. Their polycrystalline structure and specific surface features have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, and atomic force microscope. The assessment of growth stimulation of bacteria was determined using epifluorescent microscope by cell staining with Live/Dead BacLight kit. In our experiments, the growth stimulation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on nanostructured ZnO film is demonstrated by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas putida. These two bacterial species have been selected, because they are well known and studied in biosensor technologies, with structural difference of their cell walls. These pathogens are easy for with common source in the liquid food or some commercial products. Our data has revealed that the method of transducer film preparation influences strongly bacterial inhibition and division. These results present the transforming signal precisely, when ZnO is used in biosensor applications.

Increased photocatalytic activity of NiO and ZnO in photodegradation of a model drug aqueous solution: Effect of coupling, supporting, particles size and calcination temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Derikvandi, Hadis [Department of Chemistry, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box 311-86145, Shahreza, Isfahan, Iran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh, Alireza, E-mail: arnezamzadeh@iaush.ac.ir [Department of Chemistry, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, P.O. Box 311-86145, Shahreza, Isfahan, Iran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Razi Chemistry Research Center (RCRC), Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-01-05

Highlights: • Increased photoactivity of hybridized/supported NiO-ZnO whit respect to monocomponent one. • Strong dependence of photocatalytic activity of NiO-ZnO to calcination temperature. • Calcination temperature varied the crystallite forms of the semiconductors. • Red shifts in band gaps of the supported coupled semiconductors whit respect to monocomponent one. - Abstract: Mechanically ball-mill prepared clinoptilolite nanoparticles (NC) were used for increasing photocatalytic activity of NiO and ZnO as alone and binary systems. The semiconductors were supported onto the zeolite during calcination of Ni(II)-Zn(II)-exchanged NC at different calcinations temperatures. XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, X-ray mapping, DRS, TEM and BET techniques were used for characterization of the samples. The calcined catalysts at 400 °C for 4 h showed the best photocatalytic activity for metronidazole (MNZ) in aqueous solution. The mole ratio of ZnO/NiO affected the photodegradation efficiency because activity of the coupled catalysts depends to the both e/h production and electron scavenging processes. In the used system, NiO acted as e/h production source and ZnO as an electron sink. Red shifts in band gaps of the supported coupled semiconductors was observed whit respect to monocomponent one, confirming formation of nanoparticles of the semiconductors onto the zeolitic bed. The best activities were obtained for the NiO{sub 1.3}–ZnO{sub 1.5}/NC (NZ-NC) and NiO{sub 0.7}–ZnO{sub 4.3}/NC (NZ{sub 3}-NC) catalysts at pH 3, 1.2 g L{sup −1} of the catalysts and 1 g L{sup −1} of MNZ.

Rectifying Behavior of Aligned ZnO Nano rods on Mg0.3Zn0.7O Thin Film Template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salina Muhamad; Suriani Abu Bakar; Mohamad Hafiz Mamat; Rafidah Ahmad; Mohamad Rusop

2011-01-01

Rectifying behavior more than 3 orders of aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nano rods grown on Mg 0.3 Zn 0.7 O thin film template using chemical bath deposition method was observed, giving a barrier height of 0.75 eV, and the ideality factor achieved was almost 6, which was analyzed using thermionic emission theory. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images revealed that the grown ZnO was in hexagonal shape, uniformly distributed and in vertically aligned form. The crystallinity of the sample being studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), where the highest peak was found at (002) phase, confirming that high crystallinity of ZnO was attained. The effect of metal/semiconductor junction between metal and aligned ZnO nano rods was discussed in further details. (author)

Light absorption in disordered semiconductors with a random coulomb-type field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbuzov, Yu.D.; Evdokimov, V.M.; Kolenkin, M.Yu.

1988-01-01

A method is proposed for the formulation of an asymptotic series for the light absorption coefficient in disordered semiconductors with a random field of the Coulomb type. It is shown that the series is obtained by expanding the exponent of an exponential function in powers of a parameter proportional to (E g - ℎω) -1/3 , where E g is the band gap of the semiconductor, and ℎω is the photon energy. The first three terms of the series are calculated in explicit form

Arsenic in ZnO and GaN: substitutional cation or anion sites?

CERN Document Server

Wahl, Ulrich; Rita, Elisabete; Marques, Ana Claudia; Alves, Eduardo; Carvalho Soares, José

2007-01-01

We have determined the lattice location of ion implanted As in ZnO and GaN by means of conversion electron emission channeling from radioactive $^{73}$As. In contrast to what one might expect from its nature as a group V element, we find that As does not occupy substitutional O sites in ZnO but in its large majority substitutional Zn sites. Arsenic in ZnO is thus an interesting example for an impurity in a semiconductor where the major impurity lattice site is determined by atomic size and electronegativity rather than its position in the periodic system. In contrast, in GaN the preference of As for substitutional cation sites is less pronounced and about half of the implanted As atoms occupy Ga and the other half N sites. Apparently, the smaller size-mismatch between As and N and the chemical similarity of both elements make it feasible that As partly substitutes for N atoms.

Improved Pt/Au and W/Pt/Au Schottky contacts on n-type ZnO using ozone cleaning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ip, K.; Gila, B.P.; Onstine, A.H.; Lambers, E.S.; Heo, Y.W.; Baik, K.H.; Norton, D.P.; Pearton, S.J.; Kim, S.; LaRoche, J.R; Ren, F.

2004-01-01

UV-ozone cleaning prior to metal deposition of either e-beam Pt contacts or sputtered W contacts on n-type single-crystal ZnO is found to significantly improve their rectifying characteristics. Pt contacts deposited directly on the as-received ZnO surface are Ohmic but show rectifying behavior with ozone cleaning. The Schottky barrier height of these Pt contacts was 0.70 eV, with ideality factor of 1.5 and a saturation current density of 6.2x10 -6 A cm -2 . In contrast, the as-deposited W contacts are Ohmic, independent of the use of ozone cleaning. Postdeposition annealing at 700 deg. C produces rectifying behavior with Schottky barrier heights of 0.45 eV for control samples and 0.49 eV for those cleaned with ozone exposure. The improvement in rectifying properties of both the Pt and W contacts is related to removal of surface carbon contamination from the ZnO

Understanding lattice defects to influence ferromagnetic order of ZnO nanoparticles by Ni, Cu, Ce ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verma, Kuldeep Chand, E-mail: dkuldeep.physics@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India); Kotnala, R.K., E-mail: rkkotnala@gmail.com [CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2017-02-15

Future spintronics technologies based on diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) will rely heavily on a sound understanding of the microscopic origins of ferromagnetism in such materials. It remains unclear, however, whether the ferromagnetism in DMS is intrinsic - a precondition for spintronics - or due to dopant clustering. For this, we include a simultaneous doping from transition metal (Ni, Cu) and rare earth (Ce) ions in ZnO nanoparticles that increase the antiferromagnetic ordering to achieve high-T{sub c} ferromagnetism. Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns indicate that the dopant ions in ZnO had a wurtzite structure and the dopants, Ni{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Ce{sup 3+} ions, are highly influenced the lattice constants to induce lattice defects. The Ni, Cu, Ce ions in ZnO have nanoparticles formation than nanorods was observed in pure sample. FTIR involve some organic groups to induce lattice defects and the metal-oxygen bonding of Zn, Ni, Cu, Ce and O atoms to confirm wurtzite structure. Raman analysis evaluates the crystalline quality, structural disorder and defects in ZnO lattice with doping. Photoluminescence spectra have strong near-band-edge emission and visible emission bands responsible for defects due to oxygen vacancies. The energy band gap is calculated using Tauc relation. Room temperature ferromagnetism has been described due to bound magnetic polarons formation with Ni{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Ce{sup 3+} ions in ZnO via oxygen vacancies. The zero field and field cooling SQUID measurement confirm the strength of antiferromagnetism in ZnO. The field cooling magnetization is studied by Curie-Weiss law that include antiferromagnetic interactions up to low temperature. The XPS spectra have involve +3/+4 oxidation states of Ce ions to influence the observed ferromagnetism. - Graphical abstract: The lattice defects/vacancies attributed by Ni and Ce ions in the wurtzite ZnO structure are responsible in high T{sub c} -ferromagnetism due to long-range magnetic

Defect-induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors: A controllable approach by particle irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Shengqiang

2014-01-01

Making semiconductors ferromagnetic has been a long dream. One approach is to dope semiconductors with transition metals (TM). TM ions act as local moments and they couple with free carriers to develop collective magnetism. However, there are no fundamental reasons against the possibility of local moment formation from localized sp states. Recently, ferromagnetism was observed in nonmagnetically doped, but defective semiconductors or insulators including ZnO and TiO 2 . This kind of observation challenges the conventional understanding of ferromagnetism. Often the defect-induced ferromagnetism has been observed in samples prepared under non-optimized condition, i.e. by accident or by mistake. Therefore, in this field theory goes much ahead of experimental investigation. To understand the mechanism of the defect-induced ferromagnetism, one needs a better controlled method to create defects in the crystalline materials. As a nonequilibrium and reproducible approach of inducing defects, ion irradiation provides such a possibility. Energetic ions displace atoms from their equilibrium lattice sites, thus creating mainly vacancies, interstitials or antisites. The amount and the distribution of defects can be controlled by the ion fluence and energy. By ion irradiation, we have generated defect-induced ferromagnetism in ZnO, TiO 2 and SiC. In this short review, we also summarize some results by other groups using energetic ions to introduce defects, and thereby magnetism in various materials. Ion irradiation combined with proper characterizations of defects could allow us to clarify the local magnetic moments and the coupling mechanism in defective semiconductors. Otherwise we may have to build a new paradigm to understand the defect-induced ferromagnetism

Novel organic semiconductors and dielectric materials for high performance and low-voltage organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Myung-Han

Two novel classes of organic semiconductors based on perfluoroarene/arene-modified oligothiophenes and perfluoroacyl/acyl-derivatized quaterthiophens are developed. The frontier molecular orbital energies of these compounds are studied by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry while solid-state/film properties are investigated by thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) performance parameters are discussed in terms of the interplay between semiconductor molecular energetics and film morphologies/microstructures. For perfluoroarene-thiophene oligomer systems, majority charge carrier type and mobility exhibit a strong correlation with the regiochemistry of perfluoroarene incorporation. In quaterthiophene-based semiconductors, carbonyl-functionalization allows tuning of the majority carrier type from p-type to ambipolar and to n-type. In situ conversion of a p-type semiconducting film to n-type film is also demonstrated. Very thin self-assembled or spin-on organic dielectric films have been integrated into OTFTs to achieve 1 - 2 V operating voltages. These new dielectrics are deposited either by layer-by-layer solution phase deposition of molecular precursors or by spin-coating a mixture of polymer and crosslinker, resulting in smooth and virtually pinhole-free thin films having exceptionally large capacitances (300--700 nF/cm2) and low leakage currents (10 -9 - 10-7 A/cm2). These organic dielectrics are compatible with various vapor- or solution-deposited p- and n-channel organic semiconductors. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that spin-on crosslinked-polymer-blend dielectrics can be employed for large-area/patterned electronics, and complementary inverters. A general approach for probing semiconductor-dielectric interface effects on OTFT performance parameters using bilayer gate dielectrics is presented. Organic semiconductors having p-, n-type, or ambipolar majority charge carriers are grown on

Amphoteric oxide semiconductors for energy conversion devices: a tutorial review.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kalpana; Nowotny, Janusz; Thangadurai, Venkataraman

2013-03-07

In this tutorial review, we discuss the defect chemistry of selected amphoteric oxide semiconductors in conjunction with their significant impact on the development of renewable and sustainable solid state energy conversion devices. The effect of electronic defect disorders in semiconductors appears to control the overall performance of several solid-state ionic devices that include oxide ion conducting solid oxide fuel cells (O-SOFCs), proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells (H-SOFCs), batteries, solar cells, and chemical (gas) sensors. Thus, the present study aims to assess the advances made in typical n- and p-type metal oxide semiconductors with respect to their use in ionic devices. The present paper briefly outlines the key challenges in the development of n- and p-type materials for various applications and also tries to present the state-of-the-art of defect disorders in technologically related semiconductors such as TiO(2), and perovskite-like and fluorite-type structure metal oxides.

The Influences of Cell Type and ZnO Nanoparticle Size on Immune Cell Cytotoxicity and Cytokine Induction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thurber Aaron

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Nanotechnology represents a new and enabling platform that promises to provide a range of innovative technologies for biological applications. ZnO nanoparticles of controlled size were synthesized, and their cytotoxicity toward different human immune cells evaluated. A differential cytotoxic response between human immune cell subsets was observed, with lymphocytes being the most resistant and monocytes being the most susceptible to ZnO nanoparticle-induced toxicity. Significant differences were also observed between previously activated memory lymphocytes and naive lymphocytes, indicating a relationship between cell-cycle potential and nanoparticle susceptibility. Mechanisms of toxicity involve the generation of reactive oxygen species, with monocytes displaying the highest levels, and the degree of cytotoxicity dependent on the extent of nanoparticle interactions with cellular membranes. An inverse relationship between nanoparticle size and cytotoxicity, as well as nanoparticle size and reactive oxygen species production was observed. In addition, ZnO nanoparticles induce the production of the proinflammatory cytokines, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12, at concentrations below those causing appreciable cell death. Collectively, these results underscore the need for careful evaluation of ZnO nanoparticle effects across a spectrum of relevant cell types when considering their use for potential new nanotechnology-based biological applications.

Soluble Supercapacitors: Large and Reversible Charge Storage in Colloidal Iron-Doped ZnO Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Brozek, Carl K; Zhou, Dongming; Liu, Hongbin; Li, Xiaosong; Kittilstved, Kevin R; Gamelin, Daniel R

2018-05-09

Colloidal ZnO semiconductor nanocrystals have previously been shown to accumulate multiple delocalized conduction-band electrons under chemical, electrochemical, or photochemical reducing conditions, leading to emergent semimetallic characteristics such as quantum plasmon resonances and raising prospects for application in multielectron redox transformations. Here, we demonstrate a dramatic enhancement in the capacitance of colloidal ZnO nanocrystals through aliovalent Fe 3+ -doping. Very high areal and volumetric capacitances (33 μF cm -2 , 233 F cm -3 ) are achieved in Zn 0.99 Fe 0.01 O nanocrystals that rival those of the best supercapacitors used in commercial energy-storage devices. The redox properties of these nanocrystals are probed by potentiometric titration and optical spectroscopy. These data indicate an equilibrium between electron localization by Fe 3+ dopants and electron delocalization within the ZnO conduction band, allowing facile reversible charge storage and removal. As "soluble supercapacitors", colloidal iron-doped ZnO nanocrystals constitute a promising class of solution-processable electronic materials with large charge-storage capacity attractive for future energy-storage applications.

Current-voltage characterization of Au contact on sol-gel ZnO films with and without conducting polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Yow-Jon; Jheng, Mei-Jyuan; Zeng, Jian-Jhou

2010-01-01

This study investigates the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of Au/n-type ZnO and Au/polyaniline (PANI)/n-type ZnO devices. ZnO films were prepared by the sol-gel method. For Au/n-type ZnO devices, native defects and impurities resident within the ZnO depletion region contribute to barrier thinning of, carrier hopping across, and tunneling through the Schottky barrier. This leads to the formation of nonalloyed ohmic contacts. However, rectifying junctions were formed on n-type ZnO by employing the simple technique of spin-coating PANI to act as the electron-blocking layer. Our present results suggest that the ZnO depletion region at the PANI/n-type ZnO interface is not the origin of the rectifying behavior of Au/PANI/n-type ZnO contact. In addition, the presence of the built-in potential of Au/PANI/n-type ZnO devices could result in the shift of the J-V curve toward negative voltage. Excellent agreement between simulated and measured data was obtained when the built-in potential was taken into account in the J-V relationship.

Controllable synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with high intensity visible photoemission and investigation of its mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv Yunbo; Xiao Wen; Li Weiyan; Xue Junmin; Ding Jun

2013-01-01

ZnO is known as a good photoluminescent semiconductor due to its ability to emit visible light. However, the visible emission mechanism is still under debate. In this work, we have successfully synthesized nanoparticles using LiOH, KOH and NaOH as bases and have achieved visible emission of various colours, such as blue, cyan, green and orange. We demonstrate that LiOH is the most efficient base to control the properties of ZnO nanoparticle emission by varying LiOH concentration. Moreover, detailed studies by TEM, UV and XRD show that ZnO particle size plays an important role in the colour of the emitted light and smaller particles tend to emit shorter wavelength photons. The visible emission is suggested to arise from an electron transition from the conduction band to a deep-trapped defect state. Our experimental results suggest the presence of oxygen vacancies on the ZnO nanoparticle surface. (paper)

Elucidation of the structure-property relationship of p-type organic semiconductors through rapid library construction via a one-pot, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuse, Shinichiro; Matsumura, Keisuke; Wakamiya, Atsushi; Masui, Hisashi; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Yoshikawa, Susumu; Takahashi, Takashi

2014-09-08

The elucidation of the structure-property relationship is an important issue in the development of organic electronics. Combinatorial synthesis and the evaluation of systematically modified compounds is a powerful tool in the work of elucidating structure-property relationships. In this manuscript, D-π-A structure, 32 p-type organic semiconductors were rapidly synthesized via a one-pot, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling with subsequent Knoevenagel condensation. Evaluation of the solubility and photovoltaic properties of the prepared compounds revealed that the measured solubility was strongly correlated with the solubility parameter (SP), as reported by Fedors. In addition, the SPs were correlated with the Jsc of thin-film organic solar cells prepared using synthesized compounds. Among the evaluated photovoltaic properties of the solar cells, Jsc and Voc had strong correlations with the photoconversion efficiency (PCE).

Photoluminescence eigenmodes in the ZnO semiconductor microcavity on the Ag/Si substrate

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Luo, X.; Wang, J.; Mao, H.; Remeš, Zdeněk; Král, Karel

2013-01-01

Roč. 112, č. 4 (2013), s. 821-825 ISSN 0947-8396 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LH12186 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : ZnO * photoluminescence * microcavity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.694, year: 2013

Ag-based semiconductor photocatalysts in environmental purification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Jiade; Fang, Wen [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); Yu, Changlin, E-mail: yuchanglinjx@163.com [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); School of Environment Engineering and biology Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000 Guangdong Province (China); Zhou, Wanqin [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350002 (China); Zhu, Lihua [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); Xie, Yu, E-mail: xieyu_121@163.com [College of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi (China)

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: Ag-based semiconductors as promising visible light-driven photocatalysts have aroused much interesting due to their strong visible light responsibility. Formation of heterojunction could largely promote the electron/hole pair separation, resulting in highly photocatalytic activity and stability. - Highlights: • Recent research progress in the fabrication and application of Ag-based semiconductor photocatalyts. • The advantages and disadvantages of Ag-based semiconductor as photocatalysts. • Strategies in design Ag-based semiconductor photocatalysts with high performance. - Abstract: Over the past decades, with the fast development of global industrial development, various organic pollutants discharged in water have become a major source of environmental pollution in waste fields. Photocatalysis, as green and environmentally friendly technology, has attracted much attention in pollutants degradation due to its efficient degradation rate. However, the practical application of traditional semiconductor photocatalysts, e.g. TiO{sub 2}, ZnO, is limited by their weak visible light adsorption due to their wide band gaps. Nowadays, the study in photocatalysts focuses on new and narrow band gap semiconductors. Among them, Ag-based semiconductors as promising visible light-driven photocatalysts have aroused much interesting due to their strong visible light responsibility. Most of Ag-based semiconductors could exhibit high initial photocatalytic activity. But they easy suffer from poor stability because of photochemical corrosion. Design heterojunction, increasing specific surface area, enriching pore structure, regulating morphology, controlling crystal facets, and producing plasmonic effects were considered as the effective strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance of Ag-based photocatalyts. Moreover, combining the superior properties of carbon materials (e.g. carbon quantum dots, carbon nano-tube, carbon nanofibers, graphene) with Ag

Ag-based semiconductor photocatalysts in environmental purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jiade; Fang, Wen; Yu, Changlin; Zhou, Wanqin; Zhu, Lihua; Xie, Yu

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Ag-based semiconductors as promising visible light-driven photocatalysts have aroused much interesting due to their strong visible light responsibility. Formation of heterojunction could largely promote the electron/hole pair separation, resulting in highly photocatalytic activity and stability. - Highlights: • Recent research progress in the fabrication and application of Ag-based semiconductor photocatalyts. • The advantages and disadvantages of Ag-based semiconductor as photocatalysts. • Strategies in design Ag-based semiconductor photocatalysts with high performance. - Abstract: Over the past decades, with the fast development of global industrial development, various organic pollutants discharged in water have become a major source of environmental pollution in waste fields. Photocatalysis, as green and environmentally friendly technology, has attracted much attention in pollutants degradation due to its efficient degradation rate. However, the practical application of traditional semiconductor photocatalysts, e.g. TiO 2 , ZnO, is limited by their weak visible light adsorption due to their wide band gaps. Nowadays, the study in photocatalysts focuses on new and narrow band gap semiconductors. Among them, Ag-based semiconductors as promising visible light-driven photocatalysts have aroused much interesting due to their strong visible light responsibility. Most of Ag-based semiconductors could exhibit high initial photocatalytic activity. But they easy suffer from poor stability because of photochemical corrosion. Design heterojunction, increasing specific surface area, enriching pore structure, regulating morphology, controlling crystal facets, and producing plasmonic effects were considered as the effective strategies to improve the photocatalytic performance of Ag-based photocatalyts. Moreover, combining the superior properties of carbon materials (e.g. carbon quantum dots, carbon nano-tube, carbon nanofibers, graphene) with Ag

Progress in ZnO Acceptor Doping: What Is the Best Strategy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith G. Reynolds

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews the recent progress in acceptor doping of ZnO that has been achieved with a focus toward the optimum strategy. There are three main approaches for generating p-type ZnO: substitutional group IA elements on a zinc site, codoping of donors and acceptors, and substitution of group VA elements on an oxygen site. The relevant issues are whether there is sufficient incorporation of the appropriate dopant impurity species, does it reside on the appropriate lattice site, and lastly whether the acceptor ionization energy is sufficiently small to enable significant p-type conduction at room temperature. The potential of nitrogen doping and formation of the appropriate acceptor complexes is highlighted although theoretical calculations predict that nitrogen on an oxygen site is a deep acceptor. We show that an understanding of the growth and annealing steps to achieve the relevant acceptor defect complexes is crucial to meet requirements.

Surface state modulation through wet chemical treatment as a route to controlling the electrical properties of ZnO nanowire arrays investigated with XPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lord, Alex M.; Maffeis, Thierry G.; Allen, Martin W.; Morgan, David; Davies, Philip R.; Jones, Daniel R.; Evans, Jonathan E.; Smith, Nathan A.; Wilks, Steve P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Direct measurement of the surface band bending exhibited by ZnO nanowires using monochromatic XPS. • Modulation of the surface depletion region using wet chemical treatment (EtOH, H 2 O 2 ). • The measured surface potential barrier agrees with electrical measurements of individual nanowires. • H 2 O 2 depletes the nanowire of charge carriers while EtOH donates electrons at the surface. • EtOH has the effect of restoring the surface potential barrier of oxidised nanowires. - Abstract: ZnO is a wide bandgap semiconductor that has many potential applications including solar cell electrodes, transparent thin film transistors and gas/biological sensors. Since the surfaces of ZnO materials have no amorphous or oxidised layers, they are very environmentally sensitive, making control of their semiconductor properties challenging. In particular, the electronic properties of ZnO nanostructures are dominated by surface effects while surface conduction layers have been observed in thin films and bulk crystals. Therefore, the ability to use the ZnO materials in a controlled way depends on the development of simple techniques to modulate their surface electronic properties. Here, we use monochromatic x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to investigate the use of different wet chemical treatments (EtOH, H 2 O 2 ) to control the electronic properties of ZnO nanowires by modulating the surface depletion region. The valence band and core level XPS spectra are used to explore the relationship between the surface chemistry of the nanowires and the surface band bending

Rare earths in GaN and ZnO studied with the PAC method; Seltene Erden in GaN und ZnO untersucht mit der PAC-Methode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nedelec, R.

2007-07-01

The present thesis deals with the implantation and annealing behaviour of two examples of large-band-gap semiconductors GaN and ZnO. The studies begin with the annealing behaviour of GaN after the implantation of {sup 172}Lu. For GaN the annealing process begins at low temperatures with the decreasing of the damping of the lattice frequency. At essentially higher temperatures finally the substitunial contribution increases. This behaviour is also observed for other probe nuclei in GaN. For ZnO the behaviour at low temperature is different. Both for {sup 172}Lu and for {sup 181}Hf the damping is already after the implantation very low. The increasement of the substitutional contribution occurs like in GaN at higher temperatures. Thereafter for GaN and ZnO PAC spectra were token up at different measurement temperatures between 25 and 873 K. For {sup 172}Lu in GaN and in ZnO a strong temperature dependence of the lattice field gradient was observed. Also for {sup 181}Hf in ZnO a strong temperature dependence is observed. For {sup 172}Lu by means of a model for the interaction of quadrupole moments of electronic shells with the nucleus a lattice field gradient of {+-}5.9.10{sup 15} Vcm{sup -2} could be determined. For {sup 172}Lu in ZnO the model yields at 293 K a lattice field gradient of +14.10{sup 15} Vcm{sup -2} respectively -13.10{sup 15} Vcm{sup -2}. The corrsponding measurement with {sup 181}Hf yields a lattice field gradient of {+-}5.7.10{sup 15} Vcm{sup -2}.

PdO Doping Tunes Band-Gap Energy Levels as Well as Oxidative Stress Responses to a Co3O4p-Type Semiconductor in Cells and the Lung

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

We demonstrate through PdO doping that creation of heterojunctions on Co3O4 nanoparticles can quantitatively adjust band-gap and Fermi energy levels to study the impact of metal oxide nanoparticle semiconductor properties on cellular redox homeostasis and hazard potential. Flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) was used to synthesize a nanoparticle library in which the gradual increase in the PdO content (0–8.9%) allowed electron transfer from Co3O4 to PdO to align Fermi energy levels across the heterojunctions. This alignment was accompanied by free hole accumulation at the Co3O4 interface and production of hydroxyl radicals. Interestingly, there was no concomitant superoxide generation, which could reflect the hole dominance of a p-type semiconductor. Although the electron flux across the heterojunctions induced upward band bending, the Ec levels of the doped particles showed energy overlap with the biological redox potential (BRP). This allows electron capture from the redox couples that maintain the BRP from −4.12 to −4.84 eV, causing disruption of cellular redox homeostasis and induction of oxidative stress. PdO/Co3O4 nanoparticles showed significant increases in cytotoxicity at 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL, which was enhanced incrementally by PdO doping in BEAS-2B and RAW 264.7 cells. Oxidative stress presented as a tiered cellular response involving superoxide generation, glutathione depletion, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity in epithelial and macrophage cell lines. A progressive series of acute pro-inflammatory effects could also be seen in the lungs of animals exposed to incremental PdO-doped particles. All considered, generation of a combinatorial PdO/Co3O4 nanoparticle library with incremental heterojunction density allowed us to demonstrate the integrated role of Ev, Ec, and Ef levels in the generation of oxidant injury and inflammation by the p-type semiconductor, Co3O4. PMID:24673286

Study of quantum confinement effects in ZnO nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Movlarooy, Tayebeh

2018-03-01

Motivation to fact that zinc oxide nanowires and nanotubes with successful synthesis and the mechanism of formation, stability and electronic properties have been investigated; in this study the structural, electronic properties and quantum confinement effects of zinc oxide nanotubes and nanowires with different diameters are discussed. The calculations within density functional theory and the pseudo potential approximation are done. The electronic structure and energy gap for Armchair and zigzag ZnO nanotubes with a diameter of about 4 to 55 Angstrom and ZnO nanowires with a diameter range of 4 to 23 Å is calculated. The results revealed that due to the quantum confinement effects, by reducing the diameter of nanowires and nanotubes, the energy gap increases. Zinc oxide semiconductor nanostructures since having direct band gap with size-dependent and quantum confinement effect are recommended as an appropriate candidate for making nanoscale optoelectronic devices.

Enhancement of p-type mobility in tin monoxide by native defects

KAUST Repository

Granato, D. B.

2013-05-31

Transparent p-type materials with good mobility are needed to build completely transparent p-n junctions. Tin monoxide (SnO) is a promising candidate. A recent study indicates great enhancement of the hole mobility of SnO grown in Sn-rich environment [E. Fortunato et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 052105 (2010)]. Because such an environment makes the formation of defects very likely, we study defect effects on the electronic structure to explain the increased mobility. We find that Sn interstitials and O vacancies modify the valence band, inducing higher contributions of the delocalized Sn 5p orbitals as compared to the localized O 2p orbitals, thus increasing the mobility. This mechanism of valence band modification paves the way to a systematic improvement of transparent p-type semiconductors.

Zinc Vacancy Formation and its Effect on the Conductivity of ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Enamul; Weber, Marc; Langford, Steve; Dickinson, Tom

2010-03-01

Exposing single crystal ZnO to 193-nm ArF excimer laser radiation can produce metallic zinc nanoparticles along the surface. The particle production mechanism appears to involve interstitial-vacancy pair formation in the near-surface bulk. Conductivity measurements made with one probe inside the laser spot and the other outside show evidence for rectifying behavior. Positron annihilation spectroscopy confirms the presence of Zn vacancies. We suggest that Zn vacancies are a possible source of p-type behavior in irradiated ZnO. Quadrupole mass spectroscopy shows that both oxygen and zinc are emitted during irradiation. Electron-hole pair production has previously been invoked to account for particle desorption from ZnO during UV illumination. Our results suggest that preexisting and laser-generated defects play a critical role in particle desorption and Zn vacancy formation.

Detection of Defect-Induced Magnetism in Low-Dimensional ZnO Structures by Magnetophotocurrent.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorite, Israel; Kumar, Yogesh; Esquinazi, Pablo; Zandalazini, Carlos; de Heluani, Silvia Perez

2015-09-09

The detection of defect-induced magnetic order in single low-dimensional oxide structures is in general difficult because of the relatively small yield of magnetically ordered regions. In this work, the effect of an external magnetic field on the transient photocurrent measured after light irradiation on different ZnO samples at room temperature is studied. It has been found that a magnetic field produces a change in the relaxation rate of the transient photocurrent only in magnetically ordered ZnO samples. This rate can decrease or increase with field, depending on whether the magnetically ordered region is in the bulk or only at the surface of the ZnO sample. The phenomenon reported here is of importance for the development of magneto-optical low-dimensional oxides devices and provides a new guideline for the detection of magnetic order in low-dimensional magnetic semiconductors. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High voltage semiconductor devices and methods of making the devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matocha, Kevin; Chatty, Kiran; Banerjee, Sujit

2018-01-23

A multi-cell MOSFET device including a MOSFET cell with an integrated Schottky diode is provided. The MOSFET includes n-type source regions formed in p-type well regions which are formed in an n-type drift layer. A p-type body contact region is formed on the periphery of the MOSFET. The source metallization of the device forms a Schottky contact with an n-type semiconductor region adjacent the p-type body contact region of the device. Vias can be formed through a dielectric material covering the source ohmic contacts and/or Schottky region of the device and the source metallization can be formed in the vias. The n-type semiconductor region forming the Schottky contact and/or the n-type source regions can be a single continuous region or a plurality of discontinuous regions alternating with discontinuous p-type body contact regions. The device can be a SiC device. Methods of making the device are also provided.

Morphological, Structural, and Electrical Characterization of Sol-Gel-Synthesized ZnO Nano rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashif, M.; Hashim, U.; Foo, K.L.; Ali, M.E.; Ali, M.E.; Ali, S.M.U.

2013-01-01

ZnO nano rods were grown on thermally oxidized p-type silicon substrate using sol-gel method. The SEM image revealed high-density, well-aligned, and perpendicular ZnO nano rods on the oxidized silicon substrate. The XRD profile confirmed the c-axis orientation of the nano rods. PL measurements showed the synthesized ZnO nano rods have strong ultraviolet (UV) emission. The electrical characterization was performed using interdigitated silver electrodes to investigate the stability in the current flow of the fabricated device under different ultraviolet (UV) exposure times. It was notified that a stable current flow was observed after 60 min of UV exposure. The determination of stable current flow after UV exposure is necessary for UV-based gas sensing and optoelectronic devices.

Thermal expansivity and bulk modulus of ZnO with NaCl-type cubic structure at high pressures and temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Xiaowei; Liu Zijiang; Chen Qifeng; Chu Yandong; Wang Chengwei

2006-01-01

The thermal expansivity and bulk modulus of ZnO with NaCl-type cubic structure were estimated by using the constant temperature and pressure molecular dynamics technique with effective pair potentials which consist of the Coulomb, dispersion, and repulsion interaction at high pressures and temperatures. It is shown that the calculated thermodynamic parameters including linear thermal expansion coefficient, isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are in good agreement with the available experimental data and the latest theoretical results. At an extended pressure and temperature ranges, linear thermal expansion coefficient and isothermal bulk modus have also been predicted. The thermodynamic properties of ZnO with NaCl-type cubic structure are summarized in the pressure 0-150 GPa ranges and the temperature up to 3000 K

High-Performance Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory Based on Organic Semiconductor Heterostructures of Pentacene/P13/Pentacene as Both Charge Transport and Trapping Layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen; Guo, Fengning; Ling, Haifeng; Zhang, Peng; Yi, Mingdong; Wang, Laiyuan; Wu, Dequn; Xie, Linghai; Huang, Wei

2017-08-01

Nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory devices based on pentacene/ N , N '-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (P13)/pentacene trilayer organic heterostructures have been proposed. The discontinuous n-type P13 embedded in p-type pentacene layers can not only provide electrons in the semiconductor layer that facilitates electron trapping process; it also works as charge trapping sites, which is attributed to the quantum well-like pentacene/P13/pentacene organic heterostructures. The synergistic effects of charge trapping in the discontinuous P13 and the charge-trapping property of the poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) layer remarkably improve the memory performance. In addition, the trilayer organic heterostructures have also been successfully applied to multilevel and flexible nonvolatile memory devices. The results provide a novel design strategy to achieve high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices and allow potential applications for different combinations of various organic semiconductor materials in OFET memory.

ZnO layers prepared by spray pyrolysis

Science.gov (United States)

Messaoudi, C.; Abd-Lefdil, S.; Sayah, D.; Cadene, M.

1998-02-01

Highly transparent undoped and indium doped ZnO thin films have been grown on glass substrates by using the spray pyrolysis process. Conditions of preparation have been optimized to get good quality and reproducible films with required properties. Polycrystalline films with an hexagonal Wurtzite-type structure were easily obtained under the optimum spraying conditions. Both of samples have shown high transmission coefficient in the visible and infrared wavelength range with sharp absorption edge around 380 nm which closely corresponds to the intrinsic band-gap of ZnO (3.2 eV). Orientation and crystallites size were remarkably modified by deposition temperature and indium doping. Des couches minces de ZnO, hautement transparentes, non dopées et dopées à l'indium ont été élaborées sur un substrat en verre par le procédé de pulvérisation chimique réactive spray. Les conditions de préparation ont été optimisées pour l'obtention de couches reproductibles, de bonne qualité et ayant les propriétés requises. Des films polycristallins, présentant une structure hexagonale de type Wurtzite, ont été aisément obtenus dans les conditions optimales de pulvérisation. Tous les échantillons ont présenté un coefficient de transmission élevé dans le domaine du visible et du proche infrarouge, avec une absorption brutale au voisinage de 380 nm, correspondant au gap optique du ZnO (3,2 eV). L'orientation et la taille des cristallites ont été remarquablement modifiées par la température du dépôt et par le dopage à l'indium.

Carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Story, T.

2007-01-01

In semiconductor spintronics the key materials issue concerns ferromagnetic semiconductors that would, in particular, permit an integration (in a single multilayer heterostructure) of standard electronic functions of semiconductors with magnetic memory function. Although classical semiconductor materials, such as Si or GaAs, are nonmagnetic, upon substitutional incorporation of magnetic ions (typically of a few atomic percents of Mn 2+ ions) and very heavy doping with conducting carriers (at the level of 10 20 - 10 21 cm -3 ) a ferromagnetic transition can be induced in such diluted magnetic semiconductors (also known as semimagnetic semiconductors). In the lecture the spectacular experimental observations of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism will be discussed for three model semiconductor crystals. p - Ga 1-x Mn x As currently the most actively studied and most perspective ferromagnetic semiconductor of III-V group, in which ferromagnetism appears due to Mn ions providing both local magnetic moments and acting as acceptor centers. p - Sn 1-x Mn x Te and p - Ge 1-x Mn x Te classical diluted magnetic semiconductors of IV-VI group, in which paramagnet-ferromagnet and ferromagnet-spin glass transitions are found for very high hole concentration. n - Eu 1-x Gd x Te mixed magnetic crystals, in which the substitution of Gd 3+ ions for Eu 2+ ions creates very high electron concentration and transforms antiferromagnetic EuTe (insulating compound) into ferromagnetic n-type semiconductor alloy. For each of these materials systems the key physical features will be discussed concerning: local magnetic moments formation, magnetic phase diagram as a function of magnetic ions and carrier concentration as well as Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy engineering. Various theoretical models proposed to explain the effect of carrier concentration induced ferromagnetism in semiconductors will be briefly discussed involving mean field approaches based on Zener and RKKY

Bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn2VO6: New crystal structure type and electronic structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliziario Nunes, Sayonara; Wang, Chun-Hai; So, Karwei; Evans, John S.O.; Evans, Ivana Radosavljević

2015-01-01

We report a combined experimental and computational study of the crystal structure and electronic properties of bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn 2 VO 6 , known for its visible light photocatalytic activity. The crystal structure has been solved from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data using the repeated minimisations from random starting values method. BiZn 2 VO 6 adopts a new structure type, based on the following building blocks: corner- and edge-sharing ZnO 4 tetrahedra, ZnO 6 octahedra and VO 4 tetrahedra, and Bi 2 O 12 dimers. It is the only known member of the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family which does not appear to be structurally closely related to others. The electronic structure of BiZn 2 VO 6 , calculated by DFT methods, shows that it is an indirect gap semiconductor with a calculated band gap of 1.6 eV, which compares favourably to the experimentally measured value of 2.4 eV. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of BiZn 2 VO 6 , a new structure type in the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Mg, Ca, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn; A=V, P, As) family. - Highlights: • Structure solution from PXRD data by repeated minimisations from random starting values. • New structure type in the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family. • Electronic structure calculation

Zinc accumulation and synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Physalis alkekengi L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qu Jiao; Yuan Xing; Wang Xinhong; Shao Peng

2011-01-01

A field survey and greenhouse experiments were conducted using Physalis alkekengi L. to investigate strategies of phytoremediation. In addition, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using P. alkekengi. P. alkekengi plants grew healthily at Zn levels from 50 to 5000 mg kg -1 in soils. The plants incorporated Zn into their aerial parts (with mean dry weight values of 235-10,980 mg kg -1 ) and accumulated biomass (with a mean dry weight of 25.7 g plant -1 ) during 12 weeks. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed a polydisperse behavior and had a mean size of 72.5 nm. The results indicate that P. alkekengi could be used for the remediation of zinc-contaminated soils. Moreover, the synthetic method of synthesizing ZnO nanoparticles from Zn hyperaccumulator plants constitutes a new insight into the recycling of metals in plant sources. - Highlights: → P. alkekengi plants were used to remediate the Zn-contaminated soils. → Zn in P. alkekengi plants were used as a material to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles. → P. alkekengi plants absorbed large amounts of Zn from soils into its aerial parts. → The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were not uniform. → The mean size of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was 72.5 nm. - ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using P. alkekengi plants, which absorbed large amounts of Zn from contaminated soils.

Zinc accumulation and synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Physalis alkekengi L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qu Jiao, E-mail: qujiao@bhu.edu.cn [School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 5268 Renmin street, Changchun 130024 (China); Yuan Xing, E-mail: yuanx@nenu.edu.cn [School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 5268 Renmin street, Changchun 130024 (China); Wang Xinhong; Shao Peng [School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northeast Normal University, No. 5268 Renmin street, Changchun 130024 (China)

2011-07-15

A field survey and greenhouse experiments were conducted using Physalis alkekengi L. to investigate strategies of phytoremediation. In addition, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using P. alkekengi. P. alkekengi plants grew healthily at Zn levels from 50 to 5000 mg kg{sup -1} in soils. The plants incorporated Zn into their aerial parts (with mean dry weight values of 235-10,980 mg kg{sup -1}) and accumulated biomass (with a mean dry weight of 25.7 g plant{sup -1}) during 12 weeks. The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed a polydisperse behavior and had a mean size of 72.5 nm. The results indicate that P. alkekengi could be used for the remediation of zinc-contaminated soils. Moreover, the synthetic method of synthesizing ZnO nanoparticles from Zn hyperaccumulator plants constitutes a new insight into the recycling of metals in plant sources. - Highlights: > P. alkekengi plants were used to remediate the Zn-contaminated soils. > Zn in P. alkekengi plants were used as a material to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles. > P. alkekengi plants absorbed large amounts of Zn from soils into its aerial parts. > The synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were not uniform. > The mean size of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was 72.5 nm. - ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using P. alkekengi plants, which absorbed large amounts of Zn from contaminated soils.

Effect of neutron irradiation on p-type silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sopko, B.

1973-01-01

The possibilities are discussed of silicon isotope reactions with neutrons of all energies. In the reactions, 30 Si is converted to a stable phosphorus isotope forming n-type impurities in silicon. The above reactions proceed as a result of thermal neutron irradiation. An experiment is reported involving irradiation of two p-type silicon single crystals having a specific resistance of 2000 ohm.cm and 5000 to 20 000 ohm.cm, respectively, which changed as a result of irradiation into n-type silicon with a given specific resistance. The specific resistance may be pre-calculated from the concentration of impurities and the time of irradiation. The effects of irradiation on other silicon parameters and thus on the suitability of silicon for the manufacture of semiconductor elements are discussed. (J.K.)

A simplified approach to the band gap correction of defect formation energies: Al, Ga, and In-doped ZnO

Science.gov (United States)

Saniz, R.; Xu, Y.; Matsubara, M.; Amini, M. N.; Dixit, H.; Lamoen, D.; Partoens, B.

2013-01-01

The calculation of defect levels in semiconductors within a density functional theory approach suffers greatly from the band gap problem. We propose a band gap correction scheme that is based on the separation of energy differences in electron addition and relaxation energies. We show that it can predict defect levels with a reasonable accuracy, particularly in the case of defects with conduction band character, and yet is simple and computationally economical. We apply this method to ZnO doped with group III elements (Al, Ga, In). As expected from experiment, the results indicate that Zn substitutional doping is preferred over interstitial doping in Al, Ga, and In-doped ZnO, under both zinc-rich and oxygen-rich conditions. Further, all three dopants act as shallow donors, with the +1 charge state having the most advantageous formation energy. Also, doping effects on the electronic structure of ZnO are sufficiently mild so as to affect little the fundamental band gap and lowest conduction bands dispersion, which secures their n-type transparent conducting behavior. A comparison with the extrapolation method based on LDA+U calculations and with the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional (HSE) shows the reliability of the proposed scheme in predicting the thermodynamic transition levels in shallow donor systems.

Ultrathin ZnS and ZnO Interfacial Passivation Layers for Atomic-Layer-Deposited HfO2 Films on InP Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Seung Hyun; Joo, So Yeong; Jin, Hyun Soo; Kim, Woo-Byoung; Park, Tae Joo

2016-08-17

Ultrathin ZnS and ZnO films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were employed as interfacial passivation layers (IPLs) for HfO2 films on InP substrates. The interfacial layer growth during the ALD of the HfO2 film was effectively suppressed by the IPLs, resulting in the decrease of electrical thickness, hysteresis, and interface state density. Compared with the ZnO IPL, the ZnS IPL was more effective in reducing the interface state density near the valence band edge. The leakage current density through the film was considerably lowered by the IPLs because the film crystallization was suppressed. Especially for the film with the ZnS IPL, the leakage current density in the low-voltage region was significantly lower than that observed for the film with the ZnO IPL, because the direct tunneling current was suppressed by the higher conduction band offset of ZnS with the InP substrate.

Hydrothermal synthesis of highly crystalline ZnO nanorod arrays: Dependence of morphology and alignment on growth conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azzez, Shrook A., E-mail: shurouq44@yahoo.com [Institutes of Nano-Optoelectronic Research and Technology Laboratory (INOR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad (Iraq); Hassan, Z.; Alimanesh, M.; Rasheed, Hiba S.; Sabah, Fayroz A.; Abdulateef, Sinan A. [Institutes of Nano-Optoelectronic Research and Technology Laboratory (INOR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad (Iraq); Hassan, J. J. [Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Basrah, Basrah (Iraq)

2016-07-06

Highly oriented zinc oxide nanorod were successfully grown on seeded p-type silicon substrate by hydrothermal methode. The morphology and the crystallinty of ZnO c-axis (002) arrays were systematically studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. The effect of seed layer pre-annealing on nanorods properties was explained according to the nucleation site of ZnO nanoparticles on silicon substrate. In addition, the variation of the equal molarity of zinc nitrate hexahydrate and hexamine concentrations in the reaction vessel play a crucial role related to the ZnO nanorods.

Influence of Dopants in ZnO Films on Defects

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Cheng-Xiao; Weng, Hui-Min; Zhang, Yang; Ma, Xing-Ping; Ye, Bang-Jiao

2008-12-01

The influence of dopants in ZnO films on defects is investigated by slow positron annihilation technique. The results show S that parameters meet SAl > Sun > SAg for Al-doped ZnO films, undoped and Ag-doped ZnO films. Zinc vacancies are found in all ZnO films with different dopants. According to S parameter and the same defect type, it can be induced that the zinc vacancy concentration is the highest in the Al-doped ZnO film, and it is the least in the Ag-doped ZnO film. When Al atoms are doped in the ZnO films grown on silicon substrates, Zn vacancies increase as compared to the undoped and Ag-doped ZnO films. The dopant concentration could determine the position of Fermi level in materials, while defect formation energy of zinc vacancy strongly depends on the position of Fermi level, so its concentration varies with dopant element and dopant concentration.

Semiconductor high-energy radiation scintillation detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastalsky, A.; Luryi, S.; Spivak, B.

2006-01-01

We propose a new scintillation-type detector in which high-energy radiation generates electron-hole pairs in a direct-gap semiconductor material that subsequently recombine producing infrared light to be registered by a photo-detector. The key issue is how to make the semiconductor essentially transparent to its own infrared light, so that photons generated deep inside the semiconductor could reach its surface without tangible attenuation. We discuss two ways to accomplish this, one based on doping the semiconductor with shallow impurities of one polarity type, preferably donors, the other by heterostructure bandgap engineering. The proposed semiconductor scintillator combines the best properties of currently existing radiation detectors and can be used for both simple radiation monitoring, like a Geiger counter, and for high-resolution spectrography of the high-energy radiation. An important advantage of the proposed detector is its fast response time, about 1 ns, essentially limited only by the recombination time of minority carriers. Notably, the fast response comes without any degradation in brightness. When the scintillator is implemented in a qualified semiconductor material (such as InP or GaAs), the photo-detector and associated circuits can be epitaxially integrated on the scintillator slab and the structure can be stacked-up to achieve virtually any desired absorption capability

Semiconductor type n for applications in gas sensing film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerón Hurtado, Nathalie Marcela; Rodríguez Páez, Jorge Enrique

2008-01-01

Semiconductors are materials commonly used in the conformation of the active material in gas sensors, in this paper the synthesis routes are shown for obtaining raw material Sn02-Ti02 system, n-type semiconductor material, methods of characterization the same and the formation of thick films. The synthesis was performed using the methods of precipitation Controlled Polymeric Precursor, characterization of ceramic powders are made using techniques of differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric (DTA / TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM ) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); Finally they settled in thick films by screen printing method and microstructurally characterized by Optical Microscopy (M0) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), besides this electrically characterized. The ceramic powders obtained are nanoscale high chemical purity and respond favorably formed films in the presence of oxygen and carbon monoxide.

Semiconductor properties and protective role of passive films of iron base alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto, Shinji; Tsuchiya, Hiroaki

2007-01-01

Semiconductor properties of passive films formed on the Fe-18Cr alloy in a borate buffer solution (pH = 8.4) and 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 solution were examined using a photoelectrochemical spectroscopy and an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Photo current reveals two photo action spectra that derived from outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. A typical n-type semiconductor behaviour is observed by both photo current and impedance for the passive films formed in the borate buffer solution. On the other hand, a negative photo current generated, the absolute value of which decreased as applied potential increased in the sulfuric acid solution. This indicates that the passive film behaves as a p-type semiconductor. However, Mott-Schottky plot revealed the typical n-type semiconductor property. It is concluded that the passive film on the Fe-18Cr alloy formed in the borate buffer solution is composed of both n-type outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. On the other hand, the passive film of the Fe-18Cr alloy in the sulphuric acid consists of p-type oxide and n-type hydroxide layers. The behaviour of passive film growth and corrosion was discussed in terms of the electronic structure in the passive film

Effect of reactant concentration on the structural properties of hydrothermally-grown ZnO rods on seed-layer ZnO / polyethylene terephthalate substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Y. I.; Shin, C. M.; Heo, J. H.; Ryu, H. [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Lee, W. J. [Dong-Eui University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Son, C. S. [Silla University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, H. [Pukyong National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2011-09-15

The morphology and the structural properties were studied for zinc-oxide (ZnO) rods hydrothermally grown on seed-layer ZnO/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates at various reactant concentrations. Dissolved solutions with de-ionized water, zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}{center_dot}6H{sub 2}O, ZNH) and hexamethylenetetramine (C{sub 6}H{sub 12}N{sub 4}, HMT) were employed as reactants for hydrothermal growth of ZnO. The transparency of the mixtures (ZNH+HMT) with increasing reactant concentration from 0.025 to 0.25 M changed from transparent to translucent to opaque (white colors) due to Zn(OH){sub 2} precipitates. When the concentration was increased, the density of the ZnO rods increased, and the morphology of the ZnO rods changed from a hexagonal flat-end shape to a sharp-end or flake-like structure. The sharp-end rods with increasing concentration from 0.1 to 0.15 M resulted from the etching process at a lower pH condition (less than pH 6) after the ZnO rod growth, and the flake-like structure was due to a high growth rate. The ZnO seed layer might have improved the alignment of ZnO rods and made a high density of ZnO rods. In addition, the structural properties were improved at lower concentrations by inserting a seed layer.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of C-doped TiO2 and ZnO hybrid nanostructured materials as quantum-dots sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel-Mendez, Jose R.; Matos, Juan; Cházaro-Ruiz, Luis F.; González-Castillo, Ana C.; Barrios-Yáñez, Guillermo

2018-03-01

The microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of C-doped TiO2 and ZnO hybrid materials was performed. Saccharose, titanium isopropoxide and zinc acetate were used as organic and inorganic sources for the synthesis. The influence of temperature and reaction time on the textural and optoelectronic properties of the hybrid materials was verified. Carbon quantum-dots of TiO2 and ZnO nanostructured spheres were obtained in a second pot by controlled calcination steps of the precursor hybrid materials. A carefully characterization by adsorption-desorption N2 isotherms, XRD, XPS, SEM, UV-vis/DR and electro- and photo-electrochemistry properties of the carbon quantum-dots TiO2 and ZnO spheres was performed. The photoelectrochemical activity of TiO2-C and ZnO-C films proved to be dependent on the conditions of synthesis. It was found a red-shift in the energy band gap of the semiconductors with values of 3.02 eV and 3.13 eV for the TiO2-C and ZnO-C, respectively, clearly lower than those on bare semiconductors, which is associated with the C-doping effect. From the photo-electrochemistry characterization of C-doped TiO2 and ZnO films can be concluded that the present materials have potential applications as photoelectrodes for quantum-dots sensitized solar cells.

Polyaniline hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods with long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bera, Susanta; Khan, Hasmat; Biswas, Indranil; Jana, Sunirmal

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Polyaniline (PANI) hybridized ZnO nanorods was synthesized by solution method. • Surface defects were found in the nanorods. • The hybrid material exhibited an enhancement in visible light absorption. • A long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity of the material was found. • Advancement in the properties would be PANI hybridization and surface defects. - Abstract: We report surfactant/template free precursor solution based synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods by a two-step process. Initially, ZnO nanorods have been prepared at 95 °C, followed by hybridization (coating) of PANI onto the ZnO via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer, forming ZnO-PANI nanohybrid (ZP). The structural properties of ZP have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies. The presence of surface defects especially the oxygen vacancies in ZnO has been characterized by photoluminescence emission, high resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman spectral measurements. The chemical interaction of PANI with ZnO has been examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and XPS analyses. A significant enhancement in visible absorption of ZP sample is found as evidenced from UV–vis diffused reflectance spectral study. BET nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm shows an improved textural property (pore size, pore volume) of ZP. Moreover, a long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity (PEC) of ZP is found compare to pristine ZnO. The synergic effect of PANI hybridization and the presence of surface defects in ZnO NRs can enhance the PEC by prolonging the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The effect can also provide large number of active sites to make electrolyte diffusion and mass transportation easier in the nanohybrid. This simple synthesis strategy can be adopted for PANI hybridization with different metal oxide semiconductors

Surfactant-assisted carbon doping in ZnO nanowires using Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amanullah, Malik; Javed, Qurat-ul-Ain, E-mail: Quratulain@sns.nust.edu.pk; Rizwan, Syed

2016-09-01

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) provides unique properties owing to its wide bandgap, large resistivity range and possibility to tune the physical properties. The surfactant assisted carbon doping was made possible due to the lowering of surface energy. The ZnO and carbon doped ZnO (C-ZnO) nanowires fabricated by hydrothermal process, Poly Ethylene Glycol (PEG) is used as surfactant in hydrothermal synthesis followed by post growth annealing treatment at 600 °C–700 °C. At 5%–10% of diluted PEG carbon is doped in ZnO. The crystallinity, structural morphology and elemental composition analysis for ZnO and C-ZnO nanowires were carried out using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques respectively. Carbon doping in ZnO nanowires in the presence of different percentage of surfactant is explained by calculating the change in surface energy with respect to change in PEG molecule concentration. It was found that the surface energy per molecule modulates from 3.92 × 10{sup −8} J/m{sup 2} to 8.16 × 10{sup −7} J/m{sup 2} in the PEG concentration range between 5% and 10%. Our results provides a new theoretical calculations, implemented on real system, to observe the details of PEG-assisted Carbon doping in II-VI semiconductor nanowires. - Highlights: • ZnO and C-ZnO was synthesized by PEG assisted post growth annealing process. • At 5% and 10% of PEG successful synthesis of C-ZnO was found. • XRD, SEM and EDX characterizations confirm the successful synthesis of ZnO and C-ZnO. • Change in surface energy with respect to PEG molecule concentration was calculated.

Polyaniline hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods with long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bera, Susanta; Khan, Hasmat [Sol-Gel Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India); Biswas, Indranil [Materials Characterization and Instrumentation Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India); Jana, Sunirmal, E-mail: sjana@cgcri.res.in [Sol-Gel Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), 196 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, P.O. Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, West Bengal (India)

2016-10-15

Highlights: • Polyaniline (PANI) hybridized ZnO nanorods was synthesized by solution method. • Surface defects were found in the nanorods. • The hybrid material exhibited an enhancement in visible light absorption. • A long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity of the material was found. • Advancement in the properties would be PANI hybridization and surface defects. - Abstract: We report surfactant/template free precursor solution based synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) hybridized surface defective ZnO nanorods by a two-step process. Initially, ZnO nanorods have been prepared at 95 °C, followed by hybridization (coating) of PANI onto the ZnO via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer, forming ZnO-PANI nanohybrid (ZP). The structural properties of ZP have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies. The presence of surface defects especially the oxygen vacancies in ZnO has been characterized by photoluminescence emission, high resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman spectral measurements. The chemical interaction of PANI with ZnO has been examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and XPS analyses. A significant enhancement in visible absorption of ZP sample is found as evidenced from UV–vis diffused reflectance spectral study. BET nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm shows an improved textural property (pore size, pore volume) of ZP. Moreover, a long-term stable photoelectrochemical activity (PEC) of ZP is found compare to pristine ZnO. The synergic effect of PANI hybridization and the presence of surface defects in ZnO NRs can enhance the PEC by prolonging the recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The effect can also provide large number of active sites to make electrolyte diffusion and mass transportation easier in the nanohybrid. This simple synthesis strategy can be adopted for PANI hybridization with different metal oxide semiconductors

Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanus cajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manjunath, K.; Ravishankar, T.N. [Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Jakkasandra, Kanakapura Talluk (India); Kumar, Dhanith [Department of Chemistry, B.M.S. Instsitute of Technology, Yelahanka, Bangalore (India); Priyanka, K.P; Varghese, Thomas [Nanoscience Research Centre, Department of Physics, Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, Kerala (India); Naika, H.Raja [Department of Studies and Research in Environmental Science, Tumkur University, Tumkur (India); Nagabhushana, H. [CNR Rao Center for Advanced Materials, Tumkur University, Tumkur (India); Sharma, S.C. [Chattisgarh Swami Vivekananda Technical University, Bhilai (India); Dupont, J. [Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis, UFRGS, Porto Alegre (Brazil); Ramakrishnappa, T. [Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Jakkasandra, Kanakapura Talluk (India); Nagaraju, G., E-mail: nagarajugn@rediffmail.com [Department of Chemistry, B.M.S. Instsitute of Technology, Yelahanka, Bangalore (India)

2014-09-15

Graphical abstract: Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanuscajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications.Zinc oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a combustible fuel for the first time. The as-prepared product shows good photocatalytic, dielectric, antibacterial, electrochemical properties. - Highlights: • ZnO Nps were synthesized via combustion method using pigeon pea as a fuel. • The structure of the product was confirmed by XRD technique. • The morphology was confirmed by SEM and TEM images. • The as-prepared product shown good photocatalytic activity, dielectric property. • It has also shown good antibacterial and electrochemical properties. - Abstract: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO Nps) were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a fuel for the first time. X-Ray diffraction pattern reveals that the product belongs to hexagonal system. FTIR spectrum of ZnO Nps shows the band at 420 cm{sup −1} associated with the characteristic vibration of Zn–O. TEM images show that the nanoparticles are found to be ∼40–80 nm. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZnO Nps exhibits good photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), indicating that they are indeed a promising photocatalytic semiconductor. The antibacterial properties of ZnO nanopowders were investigated by their bactericidal activity against four bacterial strains.

Structural and Optical Properties of Eu Doped ZnO Nanorods prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

KAUST Repository

Alarawi, Abeer

2014-06-23

Nano structured wide band gap semiconductors have attracted attention of many researchers due to their potential electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this thesis, we report successful synthesis of well aligned Eu doped ZnO nano-rods prepared, for the first time to our knowledge, by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) without any catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns shows that these Eu doped ZnO nanorods are grown along the c-axis of ZnO wurtzite structure. We have studied the effect of the PLD growth conditions on forming vertically aligned Eu doped ZnO nanorods. The structural properties of the material are investigated using a -scanning electron microscope (SEM). The PLD parameters must be carefully controlled in order to obtain c-axis oriented ZnO nanorods on sapphire substrates, without the use of any catalyst. The experiments conducted in order to identify the optimal growth conditions confirmed that, by adjusting the target-substrate distance, substrate temperature, laser energy and deposition duration, the nanorod size could be successfully controlled. Most importantly, the results indicated that the photoluminescence (PL) properties reflect the quality of the ZnO nanorods. These parameters can change the material’s structure from one-dimensional to two-dimensional however the laser energy and frequency affect the size and the height of the nanorods; the xygen pressure changes the density of the nanorods.

Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanus cajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manjunath, K.; Ravishankar, T.N.; Kumar, Dhanith; Priyanka, K.P; Varghese, Thomas; Naika, H.Raja; Nagabhushana, H.; Sharma, S.C.; Dupont, J.; Ramakrishnappa, T.; Nagaraju, G.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Facile combustion synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Cajanuscajan (L.) and its multidisciplinary applications.Zinc oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a combustible fuel for the first time. The as-prepared product shows good photocatalytic, dielectric, antibacterial, electrochemical properties. - Highlights: • ZnO Nps were synthesized via combustion method using pigeon pea as a fuel. • The structure of the product was confirmed by XRD technique. • The morphology was confirmed by SEM and TEM images. • The as-prepared product shown good photocatalytic activity, dielectric property. • It has also shown good antibacterial and electrochemical properties. - Abstract: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO Nps) were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method (SCM) using pigeon pea as a fuel for the first time. X-Ray diffraction pattern reveals that the product belongs to hexagonal system. FTIR spectrum of ZnO Nps shows the band at 420 cm −1 associated with the characteristic vibration of Zn–O. TEM images show that the nanoparticles are found to be ∼40–80 nm. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZnO Nps exhibits good photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), indicating that they are indeed a promising photocatalytic semiconductor. The antibacterial properties of ZnO nanopowders were investigated by their bactericidal activity against four bacterial strains