Characterization of ZnO Films Doped by Erbium

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Title

Proceedings - ISES Solar World Congress 2021

DOI

10.18086/swc.2021.05.02

First Page

82

Last Page

91

Abstract

Er-doped ZnO thin films were grown on fused quartz and p-Si substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. The effect of post-deposition treatment at 600-900 °C on film properties was studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, optical transmittance, and the room-temperature photoluminescence measurements. All the films showed a (002) preferential orientation with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The increase of annealing temperature changes some physical properties of ZnO films. The results obtained from both X-ray diffraction and photoluminescence spectra reveal that Er3+ ions successfully substitute for Zn2+ ions in the ZnO lattice. No impurity phase was found in Er-doped films. The doped ZnO films showed good transmittances (70-80%) in the spectral range of 370-2500 nm. Transmission spectra of as-deposited Er-doped ZnO films contain a wide absorption band in the near-infrared region. Photoluminescence spectra depend on the annealing temperature of films. The appearance of an emission in the visible-near-infrared spectral range occurred. It was found that an increase in the annealing temperature leads to an increase in the photoluminescence intensity in the spectral range of 1.5-3.0 eV. Photoluminescence excitation spectra of Er-doped ZnO films contain a band with a maximum at ~ 3.40 eV which corresponds to the band gap energy of ZnO. Hot-Probe characteristics measured for as grown and Er-doped thin films showed that these materials have n type conductivity.

Funding Number

T20UK-022

Funding Sponsor

Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research

Keywords

erbium, magnetron sputtering, photoluminescence, structural properties, ZnO thin films

Department

Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering

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