Effects of Y contents on surface, structural, optical, and electrical properties for Y-doped ZnO thin films

•Y-doped ZnO (YZO) films are prepared on Si substrates by using the sol–gel method.•When doping the appropriate concentration of Y, mean grain sizes are increased.•The incorporation of Y decreases the density of oxygen-related native point defects.•The incorporated Y dopants improve the optical and electrical properties of YZnO.

For the sol–gel synthesis of Y-doped ZnO (YZO) thin films, the mole concentration of Y significantly affects the physical properties of YZO. Namely, the incorporation of Y dopants into ZnO helps improve the surface, structural, optical, and electrical properties of YZO. When the appropriate concentration of Y is doped in YZO (i.e., Y ~ 2 at.%), the densities of oxygen-related native point defects are minimized, and the crystallite sizes of YZO grains are maximized. Consequently, the YZO (Y: 2 at.%) films show the improved electrical properties with the lower Hall resistivity.