Contribution to the Study of the Electrical and Optical Properties of a Wide Band Gap Semiconductor

Abstract

In recent years, zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted considerable attention as a promising semiconductor material owing to its natural abundance, low cost, and outstanding physical properties. With a wide and direct band gap of 3.3 eV at 300 K, high transparency in the visible region, and a large exciton binding energy of about 60 meV, ZnO has become a key material for a broad range of optoelectronic and photonic applications. In the present study, we examine the crystalline structure, as well as the electrical and optical properties of ZnO, focusing on doping mechanisms, characterization techniques, and their influence on material performance. Furthermore, structural, optical, and electrical investigations were carried out on thin ZnO films doped with 2 at.% aluminum (Al). The obtained results highlight the potential of Al-doped ZnO as an efficient transparent conductive oxide (TCO) for advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices.