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Optoelectronic property correlation with structure and valence band spectra for Fe-doped Zn2SnO4-nanostructured films

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Abstract

A high Figure of merit (FOM) is expected to justify the role of any TCO material as Transparent conducting electrode in the state-of-the-art devices. Here, we are reporting the superior value of Haacke’s FOM of the order of 0.4 × 10−3 Ω−1 for Fe-doped ZTO nanostructured films. Optical properties reveal higher optical transparency of 86% (x = 0.08) along with band gap curtailing by about 0.3 eV for Fe-doped samples. Electrical measurements give high carrier concentration (1020 cm−3) and low resistivity (10−3 Ω cm) along with improved mobility that demonstrate electron-cloaking effect at highest dopant concentrations. A significant broadening of the T2g Raman characteristic mode indicates increased degeneracy along with phonon confinement effect. The valence band spectra reveal an upshift in VBM and CBM with Valence band offset value varying from 3.08 to 1.98 eV. Time domain terahertz measurements reveal an appreciable decrease in absorption coefficient (4000 cm−1 to 5 cm−1 at 0.7 THz) and the refractive index dispersion change to nearly constant value of 1.8 between 0.8 and 2.5 THz with Fe doping in ZTO films. These results are very important for the development of transparent electronics and active materials for the components for manipulating THz spectrum.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge SAIF, Panjab University, Chandigarh for XRD, FESEM, and UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy; MRC, MNIT, Jaipur for Hall measurements and Raman spectroscopy; and AMRC, IIT Mandi for XPS measurements. IA is grateful to DST (GoI, New Delhi) for proving financial support under Women Scientist Scheme (SR/WOS-A/PM 80/2017). The author AKC and CG extends their gratitude to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India [Grant no. DRDO/18/1801/201/01038] ACRHEM Phase-III. One of the author CG expressed his thanks to the Prime Minister Research Fellowship (PMRF), Government of India for maintainance of fellowship.

Funding

This work was financial supported under Women Scientist Scheme (SR/WOS-A/PM 80/2017) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India (Grant no. DRDO/18/1801/201/01038) ACRHEM Phase-III.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Semiconductors Laboratory, DAV University, Sarmastpur, Jalandhar, 144012, India

    Isha Arora, Vanasundaram Natarajan, Harkawal Singh & Praveen Kumar Sharma

  2. School of Natural Sciences, GNA University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144401, India

    Isha Arora

  3. Advanced Centre of Research in High Energy Materials (ACRHEM), DRDO Industry Academia–Centre of Excellence (DIA-COE), University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India

    Chandan Ghorui & Anil Kumar Chaudhary

  4. Department of Nano Science and Materials, Central University of Jammu, Bagla Suchani, Samba, Jammu, 181143, India

    Praveen Kumar Sharma

  5. Department of Physics and Computer Science, Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada

    T. Stephen Sathiaraj

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  1. Isha Arora
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Contributions

IA contributed to conceptualization, methodology, software, and writing and preparation of original draft. CG, VN, and HS contributed to physical characterization and analysis. PKS contributed to conceptualization, resources, supervision, and editing of the manuscript. TSS and AKC contributed to supervision, resources, and editing of the manuscript. All the authors have read and agreed to the present version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Praveen Kumar Sharma or Anil Kumar Chaudhary.

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Arora, I., Ghorui, C., Natarajan, V. et al. Optoelectronic property correlation with structure and valence band spectra for Fe-doped Zn2SnO4-nanostructured films. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 34, 2301 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-023-11736-5

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