p -type conduction induced by N-doping in α-Fe2O3

Abstract

A p-type N-doped α-Fe2O3 was developed by magnetron sputtering of a Fe2O3 target in a plasma containing N2 and Ar followed by postannealing. Photoelectrochemical measurement under visible light irradiation (>410 nm) showed that N–Fe2O3 exhibits a typical cathodic photocurrent originated from the p-type conduction. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicated that the atomic N incorporated substitutionally at O sites was responsible for the p-type conduction. The concentration of acceptors was very close to that for Zn-doped Fe2O3, a typical p-type α-Fe2O3. This finding would stimulate further research on p-type Fe2O3 for solar fuel generation, etc.