Influence of Antimony Species on Electrical Properties of Sb-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

This study systematically investigates the influence of antimony (Sb) species on the electrical properties of Sb-doped zinc oxide (SZO) thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition in an oxygen-rich environment. The Sb species-related defects were controlled through a qualitative change in energy per atom by increasing the Sb content in the Sb(2)O(3):ZnO-ablating target. By increasing the content of Sb(2)O(3) (wt.%) in the target, Sb(3+) became the dominant Sb ablation species in the plasma plume. Consequently, n-type conductivity was converted to p-type conductivity in the SZO thin films prepared using the ablating target containing 2 wt.% Sb(2)O(3). The substituted Sb species in the Zn site (Sb(Zn)(3+) and Sb(Zn)(+)) were responsible for forming n-type conductivity at low-level Sb doping. On the other hand, the Sb–Zn complex defects (Sb(Zn)–2V(Zn)) contributed to the formation of p-type conductivity at high-level doping. The increase in Sb(2)O(3) content in the ablating target, leading to a qualitative change in energy per Sb ion, offers a new pathway to achieve high-performing optoelectronics using ZnO-based p–n junctions.