Abstract
The effect of hydrogen on the conductivity of ZnO nanoparticles has implications for nanoscale optoelectronic devices. In this study, infrared reflectance spectra of as-grown and hydrogen-annealed ZnO nanoparticles were measured at near-normal incidence. The as-grown particles were electrically semi-insulating and show reflectance spectra characteristic of insulating ionic crystals. Samples annealed in hydrogen showed a significant increase in electrical conductivity and free-carrier absorption. A difference was observed in the reststrahlen line shape of the conductive sample compared to that of the as-grown sample. The effective medium approximation was applied to model the reflectance and absorption spectra. The agreement between experimental results and the model suggests that the nanoparticles have inhomogeneous carrier concentrations. Exposure to oxygen for several hours led to a significant decrease in carrier concentration, possibly due to the adsorption of negative oxygen molecules on the nanoparticle surfaces.
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