Tuning Electrical and Optical Properties of SnO2 Thin Films by Dual-Doping Al and Sb

Abstract

The Al-Sb co-doped SnO2 composite thin films were prepared by the sol–gel spin-coating method. The structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of the samples were investigated using XRD, XPS, SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Hall effect tester, respectively. It was found that when the aluminum doping amount was 15 at%, the resistivity of the sample was the lowest, and the overall optoelectronic performance was the best. Moreover, the Al-SnO2 composite thin film transformed from an n-type semiconductor to a p-type semiconductor. When Al and Sb were co-doped, the carrier concentration increased significantly from 4.234 × 1019 to 6.455 × 1020. Finally, the conduction type of the Al-Sb-SnO2 composite thin film changed from p-type to n-type. In terms of optical performance, the transmittance of the Al-Sb co-doped SnO2 composite thin films in the visible light region was significantly improved, reaching up to 80% on average, which is favorable for applications in transparent optoelectronic devices. Additionally, the absorption edge of the thin films exhibited a blue-shift after co-doping, indicating an increase in the bandgap energy, which can be exploited to tune the light-absorption properties of the thin films for specific photonic applications.