Nickel–lithium oxide alloy transparent conducting films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

Abstract

In this research, nickel oxide (NiO) transparent semiconducting films are prepared by spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates. The effect of Ni concentration in initial solution and substrate temperature on the structural, electrical, thermoelectrical, optical and photoconductivity properties of NiO thin films are studied. The results of investigations show that optimum Ni concentration and suitable substrate temperature for preparation of basic undoped NiO thin films with p-type conductivity and high optical transparency is 0.1 M and 450 °C, respectively. Then, by using these optimized deposition parameters, nickel–lithium oxide ((Li:Ni)O x ) alloy films are prepared. The XRD structural analysis indicate the formation of the cubic structure of NiO and (Li:Ni)O x alloy films. Also, in high Li doping levels, Ni 2O 3 and NiCl 2 phases are observed. The electrical measurements show that the resistance of the films decreases with increasing Li level up to 50 at%. For these films, the optical band gap and carrier concentration are obtained to be 3.6 eV and 10 15–10 18 cm −3, respectively.