Optical, electrical and magnetic properties of transparent, n‐type conductive Zn_{0.90−<i>x</i>}V_0.10Al<i>_x</i> O thin films elaborated from aerogel nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract Vanadium–aluminium co‐doped ZnO thin films have been grown by rf‐magnetron sputtering of Zn 0.90− x V 0.10 Al x O ( x = 0.01 to 0.03) aerogel nanoparticles. Even though the films were deposited at room temperature they were of good crystal quality and showed c‐axis texturing normal to the film surface. The films are highly transparent in the visible with a transmittance higher than 90%. The highest conductivity of 5.10 3 Ω −1 cm −1 is obtained for 1% Al doping. The incorporation of V, a notoriously difficult dopant in ZnO, is confirmed by the observation of different absorption bands near 800 nm which we attribute to intracenter transitions of Zn substituted V 2+ . The magnetic properties of the aerogel particles have been studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. No evidence for a ferromagnetic phase is found contrary to theoretical predictions. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)