Large-sized-mismatched group-V element doped ZnO films fabricated on silicon substrates by pulsed laser deposition

Pulsed laser deposition has been utilized to synthesize impurity-doped ZnO thin films on silicon substrate. Large-sized-mismatched group-V elements (AV) including P, As, Sb and Bi were used as dopants. Hall effect measurements show that hole concentration in the order of 1016–1018 cm−3, resistivity in the range of 10–100 Ω cm, Hall mobility in the range of 10–100 cm2/Vs were obtained only for ZnO:As and ZnO:Bi thin films. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the films possess polycrystallinity or nanocrystallinity with ZnO (002) preferred orientation. Guided by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy analyses and theoretical calculations for large-sized-mismatched group-V dopant in ZnO, the AZnV–2VZn complexes are believed to be the most possible acceptors in the p-type AV-doped ZnO thin films.