Abstract
Flexible semiconductor film on metallic substrates has become one of the hotspots in the field of versatile energy applications. The use of non-stoichiometric zinc oxide (ZnOx) films with a higher optical bandgap compared to ZnO can are key functions in these applications. In this study, ZnOx films were prepared on nickel (Ni) foils using the double-glow plasma surface alloying technology through Zn-sputtering under oxygen plasma exposure. The surface morphology and UV response optical-electrical properties can be affected by controlling argon-oxygen ratios during the double-glow plasma processing. Our results demonstrated that ZnOx films displayed the change from the dense-bulges, polygonal-flakes to the granular structure as the argon/oxygen ratio decreased from 9:1 to 5:1. Interestingly, it is found that the surface of ZnOx films exhibited the gradient hydrophobicity, which is related to the change of surface morphologies. Additionally, the drop of argon/oxygen ratio initiated a special gradual-photocurrent effect under UV irradiation. The I–V curve revealed that ZnO9 film changed slightly, while the current density of ZnO5 and ZnO7 films rise significantly and the switch current increased by nearly an order of magnitude as the oxygen partial pressure increased. This means that double-plasma bombardment acting on the Ni foils can not only promote the growth of ZnOx film and reduce the interface effect, but also generate much more carriers with the increase in the oxygen partial pressure under the UV excitation. Thus, we believe that our approach will enrich the current family of optoelectronic films in the field of flexible devices.
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Acknowledgements
This project is supported by the Six Talent Peaks Project of Jiangsu Province, China (No. GDZB-046), Natural Science Foundation--Outstanding Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (No.BK20160091) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51405242, 51704167).
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Wu, H., Zhao, K., Fei, J. et al. Oxygen-regulated photoelectric performance of ZnOx film on Ni foil. Appl Nanosci 12, 3251–3259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-021-02234-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-021-02234-3