Wide band gap tuning of Mg doped ZnO thin films for optoelectronic applications.

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with magnesium (Mg) doping have demonstrated significant potential due to their wide band gap, which enables efficient absorption of ultraviolet (UV) radiation while maintaining transparency to visible light. Sol-gel spin coating methods were used to deposit Mg-doped ZnO thin films. The solution was made with methanol as the solvent, and the starting materials were magnesium acetate tetrahydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate. The integration of Mg content in deposited ZnO films was investigated for structural, morphological, and optical properties using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Mg-doped ZnO films were produced on quartz substrates and post-annealed at 400°C. According to absorption coefficient calculations, the optical band gap of Mg-doped ZnO films is in the range of 5.4 eV which is ideal for a variety of applications in the field of optoelectronic devices.