Abstract
Zn1−xMgxO (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) nanocrystalline films were grown on silicon substrates using the sol–gel method. Furthermore, Zn1−xMgxO vertically aligned hexagonal symmetrical nanorods with six reflection symmetries were fabricated on pure ZnO-seeded layer n-type silicon substrates via a low-temperature hydrothermal method to enhance the ultraviolet (UV) light response. The crystal microstructures and surface morphologies of nanocrystalline films and nanorod arrays were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Transmission spectra showed that the increasing Mg content will increase the band gap energy from 3.28 to 3.46 eV. However, the current–voltage curves in the dark and under UV illumination showed that the UV response did not improve by the incorporation of magnesium. We changed the flat surface of films into symmetrical nanorod arrays and demonstrated they can significantly enhance the normalized photo-to-dark-current ratio up to ten times.
Highlights
ZnO-based materials have attracted a lot of intensive research in recent decades due to their interesting material properties and wild applications
They exhibit piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties and a large number of nanostructures. By virtue of these advantages, various kinds of optoelectronic devices, such as thin-film transistors (TFTs) [1], solar cells [2], ultraviolet (UV) lasers [3], photodetectors [4], and surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors [5] have been developed. Due to their large band gap energy and good electrical properties, ZnO-based materials have the great benefit to be applied in large-area TFT-LCD panels or transparent electronic circuits to increase the transparency
We found that the band gap energy increased with increasing Mg content, but the UV response did not improve by the incorporation of Mg
Summary
ZnO-based materials have attracted a lot of intensive research in recent decades due to their interesting material properties and wild applications. It is well known that they are abundant, non-toxic and low-cost semiconductors with a wide band gap and large exciton binding energy. They exhibit piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties and a large number of nanostructures. Enhanced photoresponse for photodetectors and high sensitivity for high-precision pH sensors have been demonstrated using ZnO and ZnMgO nanorod arrays [10,11,12]. These unique nanostructures, possess high surface area and good photoresponsivity for optical detectors
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