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Polyaniline/gallium doped ZnO heterostructure device via plasma enhanced polymerization technique: Preparation, characterization and electrical properties

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Abstract

The ZnO and gallium-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by simple chemical method and used for the fabrication of p-polyaniline/n-ZnO heterostructures devices in which polyaniline was deposited by plasma-enhanced polymerization. The increment in the crystallite sizes of gallium doped ZnO nanoparticles from ~21.85 nm to ~32.39 nm indicated the incorporation of gallium ion into the ZnO nanoparticles. The surface and structural studies investigated the participation of protonated N atom for the bond formation between polyaniline and gallium-ZnO through partial hydrogen bonding. Compared to a Pt/polyaniline/ZnO diode, the fabricated Pt/polyaniline/gallium-ZnO heterostructure diode exhibited good rectifying behavior with Current–Voltage characteristics of improved saturation current, low ideality factor, and a high barrier height might due to the efficient charge conduction via gallium ion at the junction of the polyaniline/gallium doped-ZnO interface.

(a) Schematic illustration and (b) I-V characteristics of Pt/PANI/Ga-ZnO heterostructure device. The heterostructure device is obtained by a top Pt layer on PECVD deposited PANI/Ga-ZnO electrodes. The fabricated Pt/PANI/Ga-ZnO heterostructure device displays non-linear and rectifying behavior of I–V curve due to the existence of Schottky barrier via a Schottky contact at the interfaces of Pt layer and PANI/Ga-ZnO thin film layer.

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Acknowledgments

The Human Resource Development Center for Economic-Region-leading Industry” Project supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, & Technology (MEST) is fully acknowledged. We would like to thank Mr. Kang Jong-Gyun, Center for University-Wide Research Facilities, Chonbuk National University for his co-operation in TEM images. We also acknowledge the Korea Basic Science Institute, Jeonju branch, for utilizing their FESEM facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Materials & Surface Science Laboratory, Solar Energy Research Center, School of Chemical Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 561-756, Republic of Korea

    Sadia Ameen, Young Soon Kim & Hyung-Shik Shin

  2. School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering & Solar Energy Research Center, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, 561-756, Republic of Korea

    M. Shaheer Akhtar & O-Bong Yang

  3. New & Renewable Energy Material Development Center (NewREC), Chonbuk National University, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea

    M. Shaheer Akhtar

Authors
  1. Sadia Ameen
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Correspondence to Hyung-Shik Shin.

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Sadia Ameen, Young Soon Kim and Hyung-Shik Shin contributed equally to this work.

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Ameen, S., Akhtar, M.S., Kim, Y.S. et al. Polyaniline/gallium doped ZnO heterostructure device via plasma enhanced polymerization technique: Preparation, characterization and electrical properties. Microchim Acta 172, 471–478 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-010-0507-x

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