Electronic and transport properties of Li-doped NiO epitaxial thin films

Zhang, J. Y.; Li, W. W.; Hoye, R. L.  Z.; MacManus-Driscoll, J. L.; Budde, M.; Bierwagen, O.; Wang, L.; Du, Y.; Wahila, M. J.; Piper, L. F.  J.; Lee, T. -L.; Edwards, H. J.; Dhanak, V. R.; Zhang, K. H.  L.

doi:10.1039/c7tc05331b

Title: Electronic and transport properties of Li-doped NiO epitaxial thin films

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Materials Chemistry C

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c7tc05331b· OSTI ID:1455308

Zhang, J. Y. ^[1]; Li, W. W. ^[2];

^[2]; MacManus-Driscoll, J. L. ^[2];

^[3]; Bierwagen, O. ^[3]; Wang, L. ^[4]; Du, Y. ^[4]; Wahila, M. J. ^[5];

^[5]; Lee, T. -L. ^[6]; Edwards, H. J. ^[7]; Dhanak, V. R. ^[7];

^[1]

Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Xiamen University; Xiamen 361005; P. R. China
Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; UK
Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik; DE-10117 Berlin; Germany
Physical Sciences Division; Physical & Computational Sciences Directorate; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Richland; USA
Materials Science & Engineering; Binghamton University; Binghamton; USA
Diamond Light Source Ltd.; Harwell Science and Innovation Campus; Didcot; UK
Department of Physics; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 3BX; UK

NiO is a p-type wide bandgap semiconductor of use in various electronic devices ranging from solar cells to transparent transistors. Understanding and improving its optical and transport properties have been of considerable interest. In this work, we have investigated the effect of Li doping on the electronic, optical and transport properties of NiO epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. We show that Li doping significantly increases the p-type conductivity of NiO, but all the films have relatively low room-temperature mobilities (<0.05 cm2 V^-1s^-1). The conduction mechanism is better described by small-polaron hoping model in the temperature range of 200 K < T <330 K, and variable range hopping at T <200 K. A combination of x-ray photoemission and O K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopic investigations reveal that the Fermi level gradually shifts toward the valence band maximum (VBM) and a new hole state develops with Li doping. Both the VBM and hole states are composed of primarily Zhang-Rice bound states, which accounts for the small polaron character (low mobility) of hole conduction. Our work provides guidelines for the search for p-type oxide materials and device optimization.NiO is a p-type wide bandgap semiconductor of use in various electronic devices ranging from solar cells to transparent transistors. This work reports the controlling of conductivity and increase of work functions by Li doping.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

DOE Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1455308

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-132898; JMCCCX; 50084; KC0203020

Journal Information:: Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Vol. 6, Issue 9; ISSN 2050-7526

Publisher:: Royal Society of Chemistry

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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