skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: (Ga,N) and (Cu,Ga) Co-Doped ZnO Films for Improving Photoelectrochemical Response for Solar Driven Hydrogen Production

Journal Article · · ECS Transactions
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.3557880· OSTI ID:1039093

In this study, Bandgap-reduced p-type ZnO thin films were synthesized through Cu and Ga co-doping. The ZnO:(Cu,Ga) films were synthesized by RF magnetron sputtering in O2 gas ambient at room temperature and then annealed at 500{sup o} in air for 2 hours. We found that the carrier concentration tuning does not significantly change the bandgap and crystallinity of the ZnO:Cu films. However, it can optimize the carrier concentration and thus dramatically enhance PEC response for the bandgap-reduced p-type ZnO thin films. The co-doped ZnO:(Ga,N) films were deposited by co-sputtering at room temperature, followed by post-annealing at 500{sup o}. We found that the ZnO:(Ga,N) films exhibited greatly enhanced crystallinity compared to ZnO:N films doped with pure N. Furthermore, the ZnO:(Ga,N) films showed much higher N-incorporation than ZnO:N films. As a result, the ZnO:(Ga,N) films showed significantly higher photocurrents than ZnO:N films.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1039093
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5200-54757; TRN: US201209%%156
Journal Information:
ECS Transactions, Vol. 33, Issue 26; Related Information: See NREL/AB-5200-51908 for abstract
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English