Strong compensation hinders the p-type doping of ZnO: a glance over surface defect levels

•We propose a surface doping model of ZnO to elucidate the p-type doping in ZnO nanomaterials.•Surface defect levels have been reported.•Surface doping model of ZnO for p-type doping in ZnO nanomaterials.

We propose a surface doping model of ZnO to elucidate the p-type doping and compensations in ZnO nanomaterials. With an N-dopant, the effects of N on the ZnO surface demonstrate a relatively shallow acceptor level in the band gap. As the dimension of the ZnO materials decreases, the quantum confinement effects will increase and render the charge transfer on surface to influence the shifting of Fermi level, by evidence of transition level changes of the N-dopant. We report that this can overwhelm the intrinsic p-type conductivity and transport of the ZnO bulk system. This may provide a possible route of using surface doping to modify the electronic transport and conductivity of ZnO nanomaterials.