Synthesis and Properties of p-Si/n-Cd1−xAgxO Heterostructure for Transparent Photodiode Devices

Mannarsamy Anitha,Karuppiah Deva Arun Kumar,Atif Mossad Ali,Paolo Mele,Lourdusamy Amalraj,Nagarajan Anitha,Karunamoorthy Saravanakumar,Mahmoud Ahmed Sayed

doi:10.3390/coatings11040425

Mannarsamy Anitha, Karuppiah Deva Arun Kumar + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11040425

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Abstract

We developed silver-doped Cd1–xAgxO thin films (where x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04) on amorphous glass substrate by an automated nebulizer spray pyrolysis set-up. The XRD patterns show rock salt cubic crystal structures, and the crystallite sizes vary with respect to Ag doping concentrations. SEM images exhibited a uniform distribution of grains with the addition of Ag; this feature could support the enhancement of electron mobility. The transmittance spectra reveal that all films show high transmittance in the visible region with the observed bandgap of about 2.40 eV. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) studies show the increase of near-band-edge (NBE) emission of the films prepared by different Ag doping levels, resulting in respective decreases in the bandgaps. The photodiode performance was analyzed for the fabricated p-Si/n-Cd1–xAgxO devices. The responsivity, external quantum efficiency and detectivity of the prepared p-Si/n-Cd1–xAgxO device were investigated. The repeatability of the optimum (3 at.% Ag) photodiode was also studied. The present investigation suggests that Cd1–xAgxO thin films are the potential candidates for various industrial and photodetector applications.

Highlights

Thin film technology is a quick-moving field which includes the application of structures, film processing and the manufacture of devices by controlling the shape and size of grains at the nanometer range [1]
Based on the above work, we report the development of the n-Ag:CdO/p-Si heterostructure and study the photoresponse
The XRD pattern revealed the formation of a cubic structured CdO lattice with a (111) preferential orientation, and there were no peak shifts in all the films, which confirmed the absence of an impurity phase

Summary

Introduction

Thin film technology is a quick-moving field which includes the application of structures, film processing and the manufacture of devices by controlling the shape and size of grains at the nanometer range [1]. Metal oxide semiconductors have attracted increasing attention because of their wide range of applications in various devices, which include optical communications, photodiode, gas sensors, low emissive windows and solar cells [3]. Researchers developed metal oxide-based transparent detectors such as gas sensors and photodetectors [4]. Photodetectors are widely studied for use in imaging scanners, switching, touch panels and light sensors. Metal oxides are very common and available on Earth, and they are used to fabricate transparent devices due to their low absorption in the visible region. The visible range-absorbing CdO is commonly used to fabricate solar cell devices, and it might be a potential candidate to detect the light spectrum [5]

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