Suppression of the green emission, texturing, solute-atom diffusion and increased electron-phonon coupling induced by Ni in sol-gel ZnNiO thin films

Abstract

© 2018Zn1-xNixO thin films (nominal x=0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.1 and 0.2) were synthesized on silicon substrates through a sol-gel/dip-coating technique. Samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results from X-ray diffraction show growth in the wurtzite crystal structure for all samples, with cubic NiO being detected as a secondary phase for x = 0.2. While for x = 0 (pure ZnO) no texture is present, for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1 strong preferential crystallization along the c-axis is observed. A tendency for Ni diffusion towards the film/Si substrate interface was observed. The formation of substitutional ZnxNi1-xO solid solution for 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.04 is suggested by the results. Photoluminescence spectra exhibit strong near band edge UV emission and suppression of deep defect-related emission in the visible upon Ni+2 incorporation into the ZnO