Structural And Optical Properties Of Cd0.02Zn0.98O:Re Nanopowders By Sol-Gel Method For Led Applications

Abstract

In this study, we report on the improvement in the optoelectronic properties of n-ZnO. This was achieved by doping the ZnO with cadmium (Cd) and rare earth (Y,La). The Cd_0.02Zn_0.98O and Cd_0.02Zn_0.98O:REnano powders synthesized by sol-gel method, can be used to fabricate the light emitting diodes (LEDs). Structural measurement revealed that nanopowders with wurtzite structure having a preferential orientation along the (101) plane. The UV–vis spectra show that the optical band gap of Cd_0.02Zn_0.98O nanopowders is decreased in comparison to ZnO nanopowders. The effect of doping was to reduce the valence band offsets and consequently more hole injection has occurred leading to the observed enhancement of the broad band in the visible region.