Simulation of Electrical Resistance of ZnO nanostructures using BG and SPC Models

Abstract

We theoretically interpreted the anomalous temperature-dependence of electrical resistivity (T) of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. Resistivity in the metallic phase is investigated using the Bloch- Gruneisen [BG] model of resistivity, whereas the resistivity (T) in the semiconducting phase of ZnO nanostructures is investigated using the small polaron conduction (SPC) model. In the low temperature domain, T indicates the presence of the semiconducting phase; it reaches an absolute minimum at 180 K and grows linearly with temperature in the high temperature region. The Bloch-Gruneisen [BG] model of resistivity was used to determine the contributions to resistivity made by intrinsic acoustic phonons (ac) and optical phonons (op) characterized by high frequency. The theoretically calculated resistivity by taking into account both phonons i.e. ac and op, as well as the temperature independent resistivity is summed along with the electron-electron interaction e-e to get the overall resistivity of the material. The small polaron conduction (SPC) approach is used to study resistivity in the semiconducting phase at low temperatures below 180 degrees Celsius.