Minimum Band Gap Energy Research Articles

Comparing the Effect of In2O3 and Eu2O3 Impurities on the Structural and Optical Properties of Cerium Oxide

This work compares the changes in optical and structural properties of cerium oxide (CeO2) when doped with different concentrations (3%,5%,7%, and 9%) of two oxides, In2O3 and Eu2O3. X-ray diffraction and spectrophotometry were employed in the visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared regions. The findings demonstrated that CeO2 doped with In2O3 and Eu2O3 thin films were polycrystalline and had a cubic structure. The crystal size increased from 20.5 to 32.15 when Eu2O3 doping ratio increased from 0% to 7% and then decreased to 28.46 nm at 9%. While the crystal size showed an increase from 20.5 to 21.42 nm with the increase of the In2O3 doping ratio, while the lattice constant measured for cubic CeO2 changed opposite to that. The optical measurement showed that Eu2O3 and In2O3 doped CeO2 thin films have a direct band gap with allowed transition with 3.0 eV for the undoped CeO2. The band gap energy changed in a non-regular manner with the increase of the doping ratio of both oxides. The minimum band gap energy was 1.2 eV obtained for 7% Eu2O3 doped CeO2 thin film, and the minimum band gap energy was 1.4 eV obtained for 9% In2O3 doped CeO2. These results qualify them for use as absorbers in solar cell applications.

Fabrication of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) Using Combination of Dyes Extracted from Curcuma (<i>Curcuma xanthorrhiza</i>) Rhizome and Binahong (<i>Anredera cordifolia</i>) Leaf with Treatment in pH of the Extraction

Research on Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) fabrication has been carried out using a combination of dyes extracted from Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Anredera cordifolia. Each dye was extracted by treating pH 1 to 13 and then characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The band gap energy was determined by using the cyclic voltammetric method. The UV-Vis spectrum of C. xanthorrhiza extract reveals the presence of curcumin components. The UV-Vis spectrum of A. cordifolia indicates the presence of chlorophyll and a trace of anthocyanin. C. xanthorrhiza extract had the least band gap energy in the acid phase, pH 1, at 0.66 eV, and the alkaline phase, pH 13, at 0.43 eV. The minimum band gap energy of A. cordifolia extract was determined to be 0.96 eV in the acid phase, pH 7, and 0.65 eV in the alkaline phase, pH 12. When A. cordifolia and C. xanthorrhiza extracts were mixed, with the best composition ratios being pH 7:pH 1 (3:2 ≈ pH 1.7) and pH 12:pH 13 (1:4 ≈ pH 12.6). The composition of this mixture was applied to the DSSC resulting in an efficiency of 0.096 and 0.147%, respectively.

Optical and electrical properties of copper alumina nanoparticles reinforced chlorinated polyethylene composites for optoelectronic devices

The incorporation of transition metal oxide fillers into the polymer matrix through solution mixing polymerization imparts enhanced electrical and thermal properties. The present work focused on the optical properties, crystallinity, thermal stability, temperature-dependent conductivity, dielectric constant and modulus of chlorinated polyethylene/copper alumina (CPE/Cu–Al2O3) nanocomposites. Optical absorption measured using an ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible) spectrometer shows enhanced intensity and a blue shift for CPE/Cu–Al2O3 nanocomposites. The bandgap energy of CPE/Cu–Al2O3 nanocomposites was lower than pure CPE and minimum bandgap energy was recorded for a 7 wt% composites. The X-ray diffraction demonstrates that Cu–Al2O3 nanoparticles were uniformly introduced into the CPE matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) manifests improved thermal stability of nanocomposites. Dielectric properties decrease with frequency, whereas AC conductivity increases with frequency, and both AC conductivity and dielectric properties increase with temperature. The maximum AC conductivity and dielectric constant were obtained for 7 wt % nanofiller loaded sample. For all systems, the activation energy for electrical conductivity decreases with rising temperatures. The experimental dielectric constant values of CPE nanocomposites were correlated with different theoretical models. The Bruggeman model was in good agreement with the experimental permittivity. The impedance experiments showed a decreasing trend with temperature, indicating the semiconducting nature of prepared nanocomposites.

Impact of Ag content on device properties of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells

Partial substitution of Cu by Ag in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells is advantageous as it allows lower temperature growth while maintaining high performance. To understand the role of Ag on device performance, we present a comprehensive analysis of (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 (ACIGS) samples with an [Ag]/([Ag]+[Cu]) (AAC) ratio varying from 7% to 22%. The analysis involves a set of material and device characterization techniques as well as numerical simulations. Multiple electrical and material properties show a systematic dependence on the increased Ag content. These include a carrier-density decrease, a grain-size increase, and a flattened [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) (GGI) profile leading to a higher minimum band gap energy and a reduced back grading. Although the best performing device (PCE = 18.0%) in this set has an AAC = 7%, cells with higher Ag contents have an advantage of a smoother absorber surface which is attractive for tandem applications, despite their slightly inferior conversion efficiencies (PCE = 16.4% for 22% Ag).

Efficacy of photoluminescenes and magnetic behavior of Ce doped ZnO nanoparticles by solid state reaction method

The synthesis of Ce doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibits the enhancement of results and its favor to electronic properties. The minimum average crystal size was obtained from 8 wt% (8 nm). The weight percentage (wt%) of cerium doping concentration increases, average crystal sizes are decreased upto 8 wt% and then crystal size increased for 10 wt% of doping level. The UV–Visible spectra analysis shows that the high absorbance and broad peak obtained at 8 wt%. PL studies exhibits the enhanced intensity of the broad emission at green region confirms that the increased density of defects which can be attributed to the oxygen vacancy created by the existence of Ce doped in ZnO nanoparticles. At last we got minimum band gap energy value of 1.32 eV at 8 wt% of Ce doped ZnO nanoparticles. VSM studies showed room temperature ferromagnetism in the Ce-doped ZnO NPs. The polarization esteems are seen as diminished with the expansion in Ce fixation in ZnO after 4 wt% and 6 wt% Ce. The watched ferromagnetism in Ce–ZnO NPs is because of the nearness of Ce3+ particle state and oxygen opening and interstitial destinations of Zn.

Photocatalytic activity enhancement by composition control of mechano-thermally synthesized BiVO4-Cu2O nanocomposite

In this paper, BiVO4-Cu2O nanocomposites have been synthesized by a mechano-thermal method with a controlled composition of Bi2O3, V2O5 and Cu2O contents. The effects of milling time, heat treatment temperature and composition on the structure and microstructure of the prepared samples were studied. The optical properties and photocatalytic performance of the samples under visible light irradiation were studied by Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) and dye degradation. The BiVO4 and Cu2O contents in the nanocomposite were changed and the effects on the structural stability and photocatalytic performance were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that both BiVO4 and Cu2O contents were effective on the synthesis and stability of the monoclinic phase of BiVO4. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs indicated semi-spherical nanocomposite particles with an average particle size of 100 nm. The heterostructure at the interface between Cu2O and BiVO4 was shown by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and proved by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra. DRS results indicated the minimum band gap energy of 2.12 eV for BiVO4-10 wt% of Cu2O with a 10 wt% excessive V2O5 content. The PL result has shown the lowest rate of the recombination of electron-holes for this sample. Also, the maximum degradation of 97% has been obtained for methylene blue (MB) by this sample after 240 min of being irradiated in visible light region. The photocatalytic mechanism was determined using scavengers. The kinetics of MB and methyl orange (MO) degradations was compared to study the effect of pH on the photocatalytic performance.

Ag/Ag2O-decorated sol-gel-processed TeO2 nanojunctions for enhanced H2 production under visible light

Ceramic oxide photocatalysts have become significant materials for green energy production. This work presents the formation of various silver/silver oxide (Ag/Ag2O)-supported sol-gel synthesized tellurium dioxide (TeO2) nanojunction networks. The produced heterojunction photocatalysts were considered by different tools and demonstrated a photoactivity enhancement by introducing Ag/Ag2O at lower amounts (0.5–2.0 wt. %) without changing the surface texture or crystalline structure of TeO2. The decoration and existence of Ag/Ag2O were confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The 1.5 wt. % Ag/Ag2O-TeO2 demonstrated a broader visible-light response edged at 571 nm with a minimum bandgap energy of 2.18 eV compared to pristine TeO2 (543 nm and 2.38 eV, respectively). In addition, the formed heterojunctions were tested for hydrogen (H2) production from water in the presence of 10% glycerol and hexchloroplatinic acid as hole scavenger and cocatalyst, respectively. The 1.5 wt. % Ag/Ag2O-TeO2 demonstrated a promoted H2 production of 288.9 µmol g−1h−1, which is > 13-fold higher than the pristine TeO2 with admirable stability for five cycles. This improved H2 production using the novel Ag/Ag2O-TeO2 heterojunction is explained by the efficient light-harvesting, effective separation of the photogenerated charges within the nanojunction interface, and the synergistic effects of Ag existence and Pt deposition.

An expedient semi-empirical modelling approach for optimal bandgap profiling of stoichiometric absorbers: A case study of thin film amorphous silicon germanium for use in multijunction photovoltaic devices

Bandgap energy profiling is applied in a variety of materials for photovoltaic technologies, such as chalcogenides, III–V materials and perovskites. Bandgap profiling of the absorber layer is used to fight the fundamental loss mechanisms imposed by the bandgap energy of the absorber for the maximum voltage and current that a photovoltaic device can generate. The bandgap profile can be affected by a number of profiling strategies, such as the difference between the maximum and minimum bandgap energy, the position of the minimum bandgap energy, the width over which this minimum bandgap energy occurs and the total absorber width. These parameters have a complex effect on output characteristics of a photovoltaic device. Varying multiple parameters at once further increases the complexity, limiting the effectiveness of rigorous physical opto-electrical modelling. In this work we therefore present an expedient semi-empirical approach for the optimal bandgap profiling of stoichiometric absorbers.Using PECVD processed amorphous silicon germanium as a model, we present a unique set of semi-empirical relations that simulate the VOC and JSC of solar cells as a function of the bandgap energy profile. For this model, the influence of deposition conditions such as the relative germane flow rate, the deposition power and substrate temperature on the opto-electrical properties of a-SiGe:H films is first characterized. Opting for the relative germane flow rate to control the bandgap profiling, the experimental results of a large number of solar cells with profiled a-SiGe:H absorber are presented, varying: 1. the absorber thickness, 2. the peak germane flow rate, so minimum bandgap energy, and 3. the introduction of a plateau at the minimum bandgap energy. Using this experimental data and optical simulations, the expedience and effectiveness of the semi-empirical approach is demonstrated.

Study the Effect of Cu Doping on Optical and Structural Properties of NiO Thin Films

Abstract In this work, copper doped nickel oxide as the thin films have been elaborated by a spin coating method, the nickel chloride hexahydrate (0.8M) and copper (II) chloride dehydrate (Cu/Ni = 0, 2.15, 4.3, 8.6 and 12.9 At.%) were used to prepare the Cu doped NiO thin films. The Cu doped NiO thin films were heated at a crystallization temperature of 600 °C with 2 h. The obtained thin films by spin coater method have a film thickness in the order of 400 nm. The prepared Cu doped NiO thin films have a polycrystalline with cubic structure (200) peak was observed. The optical property shows that the prepared thin films have a transmittance of about 70 %. The Cu doped NiO thin films have minimum bandgap energy is 3.85 eV at 12.9 at.%, the thin film deposited at 8.6 at.% has the highest value of Urbach energy is 425 meV. The Cu doped NiO thin films have a high electrical conductivity of 8.6 at% it is 7 (Ω.cm)−1. The prepared Cu doped NiO thin film was suitable for gas sensing applications due to the existing phase and higher electrical conductivity.

A theoretical study for the band gap energies of the most common silica polymorphs

Although numerous theoretical studies are available for the band gap energies of distinct silica (SiO2) polymorphs, some of the calculated results of these former studies still remain inconsistent and mostly disagree with the experimental data of the investigated polymorphs. To obtain more reasonable results, we have focused on the band gap energies of eleven different and more common silica polymorphs in this research by employing the self consistent charge (SCC) variant of the density functional based tight binding (DFTB) method. The surveyed eleven common silica polymorphs in this study are namely: α-quartz, β-quartz, α-tridymite, β-tridymite, α-cristobalite, β-cristobalite, α-moganite, β-moganite, stishovite, coesite, and keatite Our obtained band gap energy results for α-quartz and stishovite are undoubtedly reasonable when compared with the existing experimental data of these polymorphs. As well, the maximum band gap energy is found to be as 9.70 eV for the β-moganite polymorph, and the minimum band gap energy appears as 7.62 eV for the stishovite polymorph. Overall, the presently obtained results for the energy band gap of the considered silica polymorphs are satisfactory, and some of them are still waiting further experimental confirmation.

Preparation of TiN–TiO2 composite nanoparticles for organic dye adsorption and photocatalysis

TiN, TiO2, and their composite particles have been prepared by a facile urea-glass route involving use of urea as one of the nitrogen sources and titanium chloride as the powder precursor at a relatively low temperature of 800 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. When the molar urea/metal precursor fraction (R) was increased from 1 to 6, the synthesized particles change from predominately TiO2 to TiN, together with a minimum bandgap energy of 2.4 eV at R = 2.5 to 4 for the composites. The presence of TiN appears to impart a pronouncedly enhanced preferential adsorption of methylene blue (MB) dyes in water, due partly to the increased specific surface area. In addition, niobium doping in the composite particles also facilitates the dye adsorption. The MB photodegradation has been found the most pronounced (about 17% after 120 min illumination) when the composites are of the minimum bandgap energy with the absorption edge extending beyond 450 nm.

Effect of alkali metals and superalkali species on electronic properties of graphdiyne with open hexagonal edges

In the present work, we study the new two dimensional materials with tunable bandgap and high chemical reactivity via locating the alkali metals and superalkalis (Li, Na, K, Li3O, Na3O, and K3O) on the graphdiyne (GDY) sheets with open hexagonal edges. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the bandgap energy of GDY with a different open zigzag or armchair edges (ZGDY and AGDY) is decreased by interacting with alkali metals and superalkali species. We found that the alkali metals and superalkalis lowered the bandgap energy of AGDY and ZGDY by more than 170% and converted them into the semimetals. Our results also show that the M3O/ZGDY systems show higher chemical reactivity as compared to the other studied systems. Among the studied M(M3O)/ZGDY(AGDY) systems, the maximum binding energy, maximum means static polarisability, minimum bandgap energy, and minimum chemical hardness are related to the K3O/ZGDY complex. Consequently, the K3O/ZGDY is a promising chemically reactive material for applications in various fields such as gas detectors, catalysts in the oxygen reduction reactions, and drug delivery application.

Fabrication of ON/OFF switching response based on n-Ni-doped MoO3/p-Si junction diodes using Ni-MoO3 thin films as n-type layer prepared by JNS pyrolysis technique

The influence of nickel (Ni) doping concentrations on structural, optical, electrical and diode properties of molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) thin films has been studied systematically. Ni-doped MoO3 films and diodes were prepared for various doping concentrations of Ni such as 0, 3, 6 and 9 wt.% by jet nebulizer spray (JNS) pyrolysis technique. The structural properties of Ni-doped MoO3 films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared films were exhibited in the orthorhombic crystal structure and sub-microsized plate-like surface morphology. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed the presence of Ni, Mo and O elements in the prepared films. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) analysis results showed that the absorbance decreases with the increasing of Ni doping concentration and the minimum band gap energy (Eg = 2.25) was obtained for 9 wt.% Ni-doped MoO3 film. From current–voltage (I–V) characterization, the conductivity is increased by increasing the Ni doping concentration in MoO3 thin films. The diode measurements were performed in darkness and under light illumination of a halogen lamp. The methods of I–V, Cheung’s and Norde were used to calculate the diode parameters of ideality factor (n), barrier height (Φb) and sheet resistance (Rs). Also, the light ON/OFF switching response of the fabricated n-NiMoO3/p-Si diodes was analyzed.

Impact of Cu concentration on the properties of spray coated Cu-MoO3 thin films: evaluation of n-CuMoO3/p-Si junction diodes by J-V, Norde and Cheung’s methods

We reported that sub-microsized rod-like Cu doped MoO3 thin films were prepared by jet nebulizer spray (JNS) pyrolysis technique at an optimized substrate temperature of 500 °C. The prepared Cu-MoO3 films were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, UV–vis and I-V characteristics. The single phase orthorhombic crystal structure of MoO3 was observed by XRD pattern. SEM results showed that the sub-microsized rod-like structure was obtained by adding Cu concentration. The expected elements of Mo, Cu and O were confirmed using EDX spectrum. From UV–vis and I-V characteristics, the 6% of Cu doped MoO3 film revealed minimum band gap energy and maximum conductivity. All the n-CuMoO3/p-Si junction diodes exhibited the high photo-conducting nature. The significant diode parameters such as ideality factor (n), barrier height (Φb) and sheet resistance (Rs) were investigated along with Norde and Cheung’s methods for different doping concentrations (0, 3, 6 and 9 wt%) of Cu in darkness and under illumination.

Bandgap energy determination of InAsSb epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates

InAsSb ternary alloys can be considered as an alternative to HgCdTe for mid-wavelength, as well as long-wavelength infrared applications. Its energy bandgap exhibits nonlinearity versus Sb composition, and hence the correct determination of its value is necessary for the effective design and simulation of optoelectronic devices. The commonly used expression on the InAsSb energy bandgap provided by Wieder and Clawson overestimated energy bandgap values at high temperatures. In this paper, we present two modified empirical relationships which are based on the experimental data obtained in our laboratory and published literature. Both are correct for a wide range of Sb molar composition and temperatures.The nonlinearity of the energy gap is described with the adequate bowing parameter. The data collected in our experiment, for samples grown on lattice mismatched GaAs substrates, fits well with a bowing factor of C = 0.72 eV. The minimum bandgap energy that can be reached at room temperature is about 73 meV for a Sb mole fraction, x = 0.63. In comparison, the bandgap at low temperatures collected in the literature for samples grown on lattice-matched GaSb substrates is smaller than the measured values in our experiment and fits well with a parabola with C = 0.9 eV.

Impact of Ce content on cubic phase cerium–cadmium oxide (Ce–CdO) nanoparticles and its n-CeCdO/p-Si junction diodes

Microwave irradiation method was adopted to synthesize Ce doped CdO nanoparticles. The n-CeCdO/p-Si junction diode was fabricated and it’s parameters have been studied at different doping concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) of Ce. The Ce doping effect was analyzed by various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra violet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) and DC conductivity (I–V) studies. From XRD analysis, the Ce–CdO nanoparticles depicted a crystalline nature and showed the cubic phase. The crystallite size of the samples varied from 18.72 to 14.68 nm. TEM images reveal that the Ce–CdO nanoparticles have nail-like structure. The presence of the elements Ce, Cd and O were confirmed by EDX and XPS studies. The optical bandgap value decreases with the increasing doping concentration and the minimum band gap energy of 2.70 eV is obtained for 15 wt% Ce–CdO sample. I–V curve represents the semiconducting behavior of Ce–CdO nanoparticles. Variation of current in Ce doped CdO nanoparticles exhibits linear response to applied voltage. The diode behavior was studied under darkness and illumination environment. The major diode parameters, ideality factor and barrier height of n-CeCdO/p-Si junction diode were examined using J–V method.

Strongly coupled CdX (X[dbnd]S, Se and Te) quantum dots/TiO2 nanocomposites for photocatalytic degradation of benzene under visible light irradiation

In this paper, a series of chalcogenide components CdX (XS, Se and Te) quantum dots/TiO2 binary hybrids were investigated by exploiting visible-light-driven organic compound degradation. CdX QDs were well dispersed on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles with a firm and close contact based on the analysis of SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS. As results, the photocatalytic degradation performance of benzene from the most to the least is 95%, 90%, 86% for CdS-TiO2, CdSe-TiO2, CdTe-TiO2, respectively. The degradation rate was gradually decreased owing to two factors, on the one hand, the more positive valence band edge position of CdS (compared to CdSe and CdTe) and consequently the higher oxidation power of the photo-generated holes. On the other hand, the minimum band gap energy of CdS-TiO2 (compared to CdSe-TiO2 and CdTe-TiO2) in the photocatalytic degradation. The reaction intermediates and detailed reaction mechanism for the degradation of benzene were proposed. The analyses of the reaction intermediates showed that eight intermediates were formed during the photocatalysis decomposition process. OH and h+ were the dominant active species in the photocatalysis degradation of benzene over CdX-TiO2. Thus, CdX-TiO2 nanocomposites were shown to be efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

Enhanced physical properties of the anodic TiO2 nanotubes via proper anodization time

Vertically aligned titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes were synthesized by electrochemical anodic oxidation in an electrolyte solution containing 0.45 wt% ammonium fluoride (NH4F) and 2 vol% deionized water at constant potential (70 V) for various anodization time at the room temperature. The influence of the anodization time on the morphology and optical properties of the anodic TiO2 nanotubes have been studied. Field emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed that the anodic TiO2 nanotube morphology extremely depends on the anodization time. It was observed that by increasing anodization time, length of the anodic TiO2 nanotubes increased and nanotubes destroyed at the top of the tubes. After a long time of anodization process (9 h), nanotubes completely destroyed. Photoluminescence measurements showed that the anodic TiO2 nanotube band gap energy depends on the anodic TiO2 nanotube morphology. The anodic TiO2 nanotubes without any damage had a minimum band gap energy (2.9 eV).

The role of hydrothermal conditions in determining 1D TiO2 nanomaterials bandgap energies and crystal phases

One-dimensional TiO2 nanostructure synthesized using a hydrothermal method showed significant differences in the bandgap energies and crystal phase properties under different synthesis conditions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of the hydrothermal reaction conditions on the bandgap energy and to optimize the reaction conditions using a 3-factor 3-level Box Behnken design. The factors investigated include temperature, NaOH concentration and TiO2 concentration (BBD). A quadratic response surface model predicted optimum conditions for the maximum and minimum bandgap energy. The BBD analysis and other statistical tools provided evidence showing the temperature and NaOH concentration significantly affected the 1D TiO2 bandgap energy. Pure anatase was associated with a higher bandgap energy, whereas the biphasic anatase-rutile and anatase-TiO2-B phases were linked with decreasing the bandgap energy. In addition, the crystal size and specific surface area (SSA) impact on the bandgap energy was due to the size quantization effect.

Impact of Zr content on multiphase zirconium–tungsten oxide (Zr–WOx) films and its MIS structure of Cu/Zr–WOx/p-Si Schottky barrier diodes

Metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structure of Cu/Zr–WOx/p-Si Schottky diodes with different concentrations (0, 4 and 8 wt%) of Zr content were fabricated. The interfacial layer of zirconium–tungsten oxide (Zr–WOx) film was grown on p-type silicon (p-Si) wafer using jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis (JNSP) technique at the substrate temperature of 400 °C. After that, the Cu electrode was coated on the Zr–WOx film via vacuum deposition method. The multiphase (orthorhombic and cubic) crystal structures of Zr–WOx were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The surface morphological analysis using scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the dissimilar structures of surface and energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX) confirmed the presence of W, Zr and O atoms. Using UV–Visible (UV–Vis) and DC elecrical (I–V) analysis, the minimum band gap energy and average conductivity were obtained for higher concentration (8 wt%) of Zr content. The minimum barrier height (ΦB) and minimum ideality factor (n) values were attained for 4 wt% of Cu/Zr–WOx/p-Si Schottky barrier diode (SBD) under illumination condition.