Structural and optical characterization of Sb-doped ZnO co-sputtered thin films

Abstract

This paper reports the structural and optoelectronics properties of prepared pure and Sb-doped ZnO nanoparticles using the co-sputtering technique. The phase purity and crystallite size of synthesized ZnO and Sb-doped nano-sized particles were characterized and examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The elemental analysis was examined by using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Optical properties were carried out by employing UV-visible spectroscopy to study the optoelectronic properties of Sb-doped ZnO thin film. These films are highly transparent in the visible region and exhibit a steep absorption edge at 380 nm. The average value of the optical gap belonging to the thin films deposited under different conditions is 3.17 eV. The refractive index (n) behaves as normal dispersion and decreases with increasing both the rate of flow and thickness. The dispersion energy, single oscillator energy, and optical conductivity increase with increasing the rate of flow of argon.