Dr. Bridget Ingham, Associate Investigator, MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology
Al-doped ZnO (Al:ZnO) is a promising transparent conducting oxide. We have used complementary synchrotron and laboratory techniques to study the incorporation of Al within the ZnO lattice, and measure its effect on the crystallinity of thin films prepared by sol-gel techniques, with an aim to understand how these properties affect the film conductivity.
I will present recent results from Al:ZnO powders and thin films, prepared with varying Al concentrations and calcination temperatures. Solid state 27Al NMR and ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed on Al:ZnO powders, to gain information about the incorporation of Al and its effect on the ZnO crystallite size and lattice parameters [1]. In situ XRD experiments have given insights into the grain growth kinetics during calcination as a function of Al concentration [2]. Measurements have also been performed on thin films: grazing incidence XRD and Al K-edge NEXAFS. We will show how these provide an understanding of the competition between Al-doping, grain size and grain boundary impurities, and discuss their effect on the electrical conductivity.
[1] T. Kemmitt, B. Ingham and R. Linklater, J. Phys. Chem. C 115 (2011) 15031.
[2] B. Ingham, R. Linklater and T. Kemmitt, J. Phys. Chem. C 115 (2011) 21034.
