Annealing effects of co-doping with Al and Sb on structure and optical–electrical properties of the ZnO thin films

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 499; no. 2; pp. 265 - 268
• Main Authors: Zhong, W.W., Liu, F.M., Cai, L.G., Zhou, C.C., Ding, P., Zhang, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 11.06.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aluminum; Annealing; Annealing at different temperature; Antimony; Axial stress; Co-doped with Al and Sb; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Ii-vi semiconductors; Liquid phase epitaxy; deposition from liquid phases (melts, solutions, and surface layers on liquids); Low-field transport and mobility; piezoresistance; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Optical and electrical properties; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Physics; Sol–gel spin-coating method; Thin films; Wurtzite; Zinc; Zinc oxide; ZnO thin films; 81.05.Dz; Sol–gel spin-coating method; 81.07.−b; Co-doped with Al and Sb; ZnO thin films; Annealing at different temperature; Optical and electrical properties; Annealing; Electrical conductivity; Vacancies; Sol-gel spin-coating method; Biaxial stress; Antimony additions; XRD; Absorption coefficients; Thin films; 81.07.-b; Impurity site; Wurtzite structure; Zinc oxide; Spin-on coating; Cobalt additions; Sol-gel process; Codoping; Absorption edge
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.03.184

The ZnO thin films co-doped with Al and Sb have been successfully deposited by a sol–gel spin-coating method on glass substrates and annealed at different temperature for 2 h in air. The annealing effects of different temperature on the structure and biaxial stress were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that the annealed ZnO thin films mainly consist of ZnO with wurtzite structure, and the biaxial stress is lower during annealed at 550 °C. The annealed films have high transmittance in the visible region and show sharp absorption edges in the UV region. The optical band gap E g values are 2.95, 3.03, 3.18 and 3.15 eV, which corresponding to the films annealed at 450, 500, 550, 600 °C, respectively. The resistivity of thin films reaches a minimum when the annealing temperature at 550 °C. The conducting mechanism is contributed to Sb substitute for Zn inducing two corresponding Zn vacancies.