We demonstrate that crystalline, epitaxial-like and highly ordered ZnO and Al:ZnO (AZO) quasisuperlattice thin films can be achieved from a precursor liquid at relatively low temperature via spin-coating, which crystallize with near epitaxy with a pronounced c-plane texture. We also show the visible and near-infra red (VIS-NIR) light spectroscopy of ZnO and Al:ZnO multi-layered thin film structures grown on oxidized silicon substrates and also define the growth conditions and processing to provide tunable antireflection coatings of ZnO and AZO.
Lastly, we show measurements demonstrating sub-band optical pumping of AZO QSLs that enable significant photoconductivity, whereas negligible photoconductance is observed in similarly grown ZnO QSLs. In AZO QSLs, conduction band electrons from valence band pumping at incident irradiation > Eg, are not required to initiate or enhance photoconductivity. The photoconductance scales with optical pump power and points to electron mobility possibly from transitions within the band gap of Al:ZnO or from localized photo-processes in Al-doped ZnO.
References
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- D. Buckley, D. McNulty, V. Z. Zubialevich, P. J. Parbrook and C. O'Dwyer, ECS Trans., 77, 99 (2017).
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- D. Buckley, R. McCormack, D. McNulty, V. Z. Zubialevich, P. J. Parbrook and C. O'Dwyer, ECS Trans., 77, 75 (2017).