Structure and optical properties of AlxZn1−xO alloys by sol–gel technique

AlxZn1−xO (x = 0–0.5) thin films were prepared on quartz glass substrates by sol–gel technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed for microstructure characterization of these thin films. In films with up to 20 at.% Al incorporation, compound nano-crystal phase was observed while wurtzite structure disappeared. Zn3d electron binding energy and Zn LMM‘s chemical shift were both increased by more than 0.4 eV. Transmittance spectra revealed that these films possessed high transmittance in the visible region, and the end of UV absorption edge shifted to less than 300 nm when Al content exceeds 20 at.% due to quantum confinement effect.

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► We propose wide gap semiconductor alloy – AlxZn1−xO (x = 0–0.5) thin films.
► Wurtzite structure of ZnO disappeared as the Al content exceeded 20 at.% and particles of thin films were getting smaller with the increase of Al content, being a formation of compound nanostructure.
► AlxZn1−xO thin films have high transmittance and blue-shift of the absorption edge.
► It was found that maximum value of binding energy of Zn3d, ZnLMM, Al2p, O1s was obtained when the Al content was 30 at.%.