Perchlorate-Induced Doping of Electrodeposited ZnO Films for Optoelectronic Applications

Abstract

The aim of this work is to produce via a low cost technique a thin film of ZnO showing optoelectronics properties similar to those one could obtain through various vacuum techniques. In order to achieve such goal, electrodeposition appears to be one of the most interesting approaches. Employing such technique in a Cl-containing bath, a high doping of the ZnO layer can be readily achieved through the substitution of a chloride ion for an oxygen atom in the ZnO lattice: the obtained optoelectronic properties are comparable to the ones of vacuum deposited layer. However, the introduction of chloride was found to be difficult to control, leading to a high concentration of inactive chloride in the ZnO lattice and, as a result, lower electrical performances of the material. In this study, the limitation of chloride doping is evidenced and explained considering the formation of chloride rich compounds. Moreover, ab initio calculations demonstrate that incorporation of perchlorate ions in the ZnO lattice at an ox...