Synthesis and characterization of Sb doped ZnO thin films for photodetector application

•Effect of Sb doping on the structural and morphological properties of ZnO thin films.•Effect of Sb doping on the electrical and optical properties of ZnO thin films.•UV detectors based on a metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) structure.

We report properties of metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) photoconductive UV detectors based on Sb-doped ZnO thin films. Highly c-axis oriented Sb-doped ZnO thin films were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique onto glass substrates. Optical properties and photocurrent measurements were carried out to study optoelectronic properties of Sb-doped ZnO thin films. These films are highly transparent in visible region and exhibit a steep absorption edge at 365 nm. The electrical resistivity measurement showed semiconducting behaviors of Sb-doped ZnO thin films. All Sb-doped ZnO thin films exhibit n-type electrical conductivity. I–V characteristics of photodetector devices were analyzed by applying 5 V bias. The 3% Sb doped ZnO photodetector shows higher responsivity of 5.1 A/W at 365 nm under 10 μW/cm2 photo-illumination. In order to check the maximal (for the rise) or minimal (for the fall) level of photocurrent, the results on photodetector for 30 s ON and OFF cycles of illumination have been reported.