Si-doped zinc oxide transparent conducting oxides; nanoparticle optimisation, scale-up and thin film deposition. Issue 34 (15th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Howard, D. P.; Marchand, P.; Carmalt, C. J.; Parkin, I. P.; Darr, J. A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 5:Issue 34(2017)
• Page Start: 8796
• Page End: 8801
• Publication Date: 2017-08-15
• Subjects: Materials -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Optical materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Electronics -- Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c7tc02175e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7526

Abstract

Abstract : Si-doped ZnO was made by a continuous hydrothermal method and deposited by spin coating; ρ = 2.4 × 10 −3 Ω cm, T vis > 80%. Abstract : Silicon-doped zinc oxide, Zn1− x Si x O y, transparent conducting oxide nanoparticles were prepared using a laboratory scale (production rate of 60 g h −1 ) continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) process in the dopant range 0.25 to 3.0 at% Si. The resistivity of the materials was assessed as pressed heat-treated pellets, revealing that the sample with the lowest resistivity (3.5 × 10 −2 Ω cm) was the 0.25 at% Si doped ZnO sample. The synthesis of this optimum composition was then scaled up to 350 g h −1 using a larger pilot plant CHFS process. Spin coating of a slurry of the resulting nanopowder made on the pilot plant, followed by an appropriate heat-treatment, produced a thin film with an optical transmission >80% and a low resistivity of 2.4 × 10 −3 Ω cm, with a carrier concentration of 1.02 × 10 20 cm −3 and a mobility of 11 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . This is a factor of almost twenty times improvement in the resistivity versus the analogous pressed, heat-treated pellet.