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Study of the extrinsic properties of ZnO:Al grown by SILAR technique

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Abstract

Aluminum-doped ZnO thin films with pebble-like structures have been successfully deposited on glass substrates by successive ionic layer adsorption reaction method. The effect of percentage composition of the aluminum dopant on the flower-like clusters of the ZnO nanostructures on the structure, morphology, and optical properties was investigated. The ZnO thin films which were crystallized in hexagonal wurtzite structures with crystallite sizes of 44, 51, 56, and 43 nm for the intrinsic and 1, 3, and 5% Al-doped ZnO thin films, respectively. Preferred orientation of crystallites is in all cases in [001] direction perpendicular to the sample surface The Raman spectroscopy revealed decrease in the intensity of the ZnO characteristic peak due to the substitution of the Zn2+ atoms by the Al3+ and attributed to potential fluctuations of the alloy disorder. The introduction of the Al3+ dopant significantly increased the optical band gap.

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Acknowledgements

We graciously acknowledge the grant for this project by TETFUND under contract number TETF/DESS/UNN/NSUKKA/STI/VOL.I/B4.33.The results were also partially developed within the CENTEM project, reg. no. CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0088 co-funded by the ERDF within the OP RDI programme, and in the follow-up sustainability stage, supported through CENTEM+ (LO1402) by financial means from the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports under the National Sustainability Programme I. We also thank Engr. Emeka Okwuosa for the generous sponsorship of April 2014 and July, 2016 conference/workshops on Applications of Nanotechnology to Energy, Health and Environment conference.

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  1. S. N. Agbo

    Present address: Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-5), Forschungszentrum, Julich, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    S. U. Offiah, S. N. Agbo & P. E. Ugwuoke

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    S. U. Offiah, P. E. Ugwuoke, R. U. Osuji & F. I. Ezema

  3. New Technologies Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14, Pilsen, Czech Republic

    S. N. Agbo & P. Sutta

  4. Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, 1 Old Faure Road, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province, 7129, South Africa

    M. Maaza, R. U. Osuji & F. I. Ezema

  5. UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria, South Africa

    M. Maaza, R. U. Osuji & F. I. Ezema

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  1. S. U. Offiah
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Offiah, S.U., Agbo, S.N., Sutta, P. et al. Study of the extrinsic properties of ZnO:Al grown by SILAR technique. J Solid State Electrochem 21, 2621–2628 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-017-3514-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-017-3514-6

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