Effect of temperature on the morphological, structural and optical properties of electrodeposited Yb-doped ZrSe2 thin films

doi:10.1016/j.ijleo.2020.165180

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Volume 220, October 2020, 165180

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Highlights

•
Successful synthesis of Yb-doped ZrSe₂ films by electrodeposition method.
•
Tiny ball-like clusters with hexagonal crystal structure.
•
Confirmed elemental composition, reduced band gap energies with high transmittance and increased conductivity upon doping.
•
Potential application of synthesized materials in solar cell and optical devices.

Abstract

This work studies the effect of temperature on ytterbium-doped zirconium diselenide (Yb-ZrSe₂) thin films synthesized via the electrochemical deposition method. The films were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectrophotometer (EDX), UV-1800 visible spectrophotometer, and a four-point probe system for their morphological, structural, elemental, optical, and electrical properties respectively. SEM images revealed ball-like clusters which transformed to nest-like clumps upon doping while XRD plots reveal polycrystalline films with diffraction peaks at (100), (211), (200), (201), (210), and (211) planes. EDX plots confirmed the deposition of basic elements while the optical results recorded good optical properties and band gap energy between 1.75–1.79 eV. The electrical result revealed improved electrical conductivity of the deposited samples at increasing temperatures. The films deposited find application in solar cell and optical devices.

Introduction

Transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors have been investigated due to their unique properties in electronic industries [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]]. The crystalline forms of the two-dimensional materials have been investigated due to their significant optical properties [7,8], low band gap energy nature [[9], [10], [11], [12]], excitonic nature of optical band spectra [[13], [14], [15], [16], [17]], valley degree of freedom [[18], [19], [20]], and valence band splitting [[21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26]]. The low band gap energy nature aids the efficient conduction of electrons in the film material. Over the years; solar energy finds applications in various optoelectronic developments, technological and scientific breakthroughs in optics and nanotechnology [27]. Two-dimensional (2D) or single-layer materials are crystalline materials with single layer of atoms that determine their optical band gap. 2-D materials are attractively interesting because of their diverse synthesis methods, high conductivity, fast mobility of carriers, strong mechanical feature, etc [28]. They find application in semiconductors, electrodes, photovoltaics, spintronic devices, optical devices, saturable absorber, photonics [[29], [30], [31]] etc.

Zirconium diselenide (ZrSe₂) is a promising semiconductor material with band gap energy less than 2 eV, good electrical properties, semiconducting features [6,32], excellent switching and memory effects [33]. Doping materials improve the properties of the host material. Yb is stable when used as a dopant as it exhibits high resistance to to thermal and electrical stress [34]. ZrSe₂ has been deposited using several techniques like atomic layer deposition [1,5], chemical bath deposition technique [35], iodine transport method [36], atomic intercalation [1] and electrochemical deposition [28, p. 2]. The electrodeposition method involves depositing a film on an electrode when an electric current passes through an electrolyte. Amongst these techniques; electrochemical deposition (ECD) is an easy and fast deposition method that is cost-effective and can be used to fabricate films within a short time and over a large surface area.

Previously, we reported the effect of varying ytterbium concentrations on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of electrodeposited zirconium diselenide films [37]. Polycrystalline films with uniformly distributed spherical grains and decreasing absorbance with increasing wavelength was obtained. Wang et al. measured different parameters in order to understand the non-linear saturable absorption of zirconium diselenide-polyvinyl alcohol films under the doping effect of erbium. Saturation intensity of 12.71 MWcm⁻², modulation depth of 2.3 %, maximum power output of 11.37 mW was obtained with its potential application in ultra-fast pulse lasers [38]. Ytterbium-doped ReS₂ saturable absorber was fabricated by Wang et al. via mechanical exfoliation method. Highest single pulse energy of 81.62 nJ was obtained at a pump power of 100 mW and a saturable absorption property of 1060 nm [39].

This research describes the growth and characterization of Ytterbium-doped Zirconium diselenide (Yb-ZrSe₂) thin films synthesized via electrochemical deposition technique at different annealing temperatures of 45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C, and 60 °C respectively. The morphological, structural, elemental, optical, and electrical properties of the deposited films have been reported and discussed.

Section snippets

Materials and method

Before deposition, the FTO-coated substrates (conducting fluorine-doped tin oxide glasses) were dipped in acetone, methanol, rinsed with distilled water, ultra-sonicated for 30 min in acetone solution, rinsed in distilled water, and kept in an oven at 333 K to dry. The chemicals used were analytically graded without further purification. Electrochemical deposition technique (ECD) was adopted in this research. The FTO substrates were weighed before and after deposition on an electronic weighing

Surface analysis

The surface images of undoped ZrSe₂ and Yb-doped ZrSe₂ thin films grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) at different temperatures are shown in Fig. 2. A homogenous and well-distributed film on the substrate surface was observed. The undoped sample showed pebble-like clusters that got transformed into nest-like clusters upon the addition of ytterbium. The compact pebbled grains distributed over the substrate surface for the ZrSe₂ films has also been reported by [28]. The morphological nature

Conclusions

Ytterbium-doped zirconium diselenide thin films were successfully synthesized via electrochemical deposition at varying temperatures of 45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C, and 60 °C respectively. Pebble-like crystals which got transformed to nest-like clusters with increasing temperatures were observed from the surface morphology. XRD results revealed hexagonal crystal structure whose crystallite size decreased with increasing temperature. Depositions of elemental constituents were confirmed from the EDX

Declaration of Competing Interest

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Acknowledgments

FIE (90407830) affectionately acknowledges UNISA for VRSP Fellowship award. We thank Engr. Emeka Okwuosa for the generous sponsorship of April 2014, July 2016 and July 2018 conferences/workshops on applications of nanotechnology to energy, health &. Environment as well as providing some research facilities.

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Original research articleEffect of temperature on the morphological, structural and optical properties of electrodeposited Yb-doped ZrSe2 thin films

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and method

Surface analysis

Conclusions

Declaration of Competing Interest

Acknowledgments

Int. J. Electrochem. Sci.

Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells

Opt. Mater.

Opt. Laser Technol.

Inorg. Chem. Commun.

J. Cryst. Growth

Electron doping induced semiconductor to metal transitions in ZrSe 2 layers via copper atomic intercalation

Nano Res.

Two‐dimensional molybdenum trioxide and dichalcogenides

Adv. Funct. Mater.

Progress, challenges, and opportunities in two-dimensional materials beyond graphene

ACS Nano

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheet-based composites

Chem. Soc. Rev.

Two-dimensional material nanophotonics

Nat. Photonics

Controlled synthesis of ZrS2 monolayer and few layers on hexagonal boron nitride

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

Recent advances in two-dimensional materials beyond graphene

ACS Nano

Optical and photoluminescence performance of electrodeposited arsenic selenide thin film doped with erbium ion

Opt. Mater.

Emerging photoluminescence in monolayer MoS2

Nano Lett.

Semiconductor Opto-Electronics, Butterworths, London, 1973, 441ページ, 23×15cm, 8,750円

日本物理學會誌

Direct observation of the transition from indirect to direct bandgap in atomically thin epitaxial MoSe 2

Nat. Nanotechnol.

Direct measurement of the thickness-dependent electronic band structure of MoS 2 using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Phys. Rev. Lett.

Electronic properties of single‐layer and multilayer transition metal dichalcogenides MX2 (M= Mo, W and X= S, Se)

Ann. Phys.

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Physical Review B

Spin-orbit splitting in single-layer MoS 2 revealed by triply resonant Raman scattering

Phys. Rev. Lett.

Observation of monolayer valence band spin-orbit effect and induced quantum well states in MoX 2

Nat. Commun.

Original research article
Effect of temperature on the morphological, structural and optical properties of electrodeposited Yb-doped ZrSe₂ thin films