Growth, structural and optoelectronic properties tuning of nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films synthesized by means of reactive pulsed laser deposition

Journal Article · Mon Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2014.05.020· OSTI ID:22420543

Naouar, M. ^[1]; Ka, I. ^[1]; Alawadhi, H. ^[2]; Bessais, B. ^[3]

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1. Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650, Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2 (Canada)
2. Department of Applied Physics, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)
3. Photovoltaic laboratory, Research and Technology Centre of Energy, Borj-Cedria Science and Technology Park, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

Highlights: • PLD technique has been used to elaborate N doped ZnO. • A maximum incorporation of 0.7 at.% has been achieved at a pressure of 25 mTorr. • Increasing the N{sub 2} pressure decreases the nitrogen content with the creation of more defects. • Optical transmission and PL spectra have confirmed the band gap narrowing. - Abstract: Pulsed laser deposition has been successfully used to achieve in-situ nitrogen doping of zinc oxide thin films at a temperature as low as 300 °C. Nitrogen-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:N) thin films with a maximum nitrogen content of 0.7 at.% were obtained by varying the nitrogen background pressure in the range of 0–150 mTorr. The ZnO:N thin films were found to present hexagonal crystalline structure with dense and smooth surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the effective incorporation of nitrogen into ZnO thin films. Optical transmission together with room temperature photoluminescence measurements show that the band gap of the ZnO:N films shifts from 3.3 eV to 3.1 eV as nitrogen concentration varies in the range of 0.2–0.7 at.%. The narrower band gap is obtained at an optimal nitrogen concentration of 0.22 at.%. This band gap narrowing is found to be caused by both nitrogen incorporation and nitrogen-induced defects in the ZnO:N films.

• OSTI ID: 22420543
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 57; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
BUILDING MATERIALS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DOPED MATERIALS
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
ENERGY GAP
EV RANGE
HEXAGONAL LATTICES
LASER RADIATION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PULSED IRRADIATION
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ZINC OXIDES