中国物理B ›› 2012, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (11): 116103-116103.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/21/11/116103

• CONDENSED MATTER: STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL, AND THERMAL PROPERTIES • 上一篇    下一篇

Structural and electronic characteristics of pure and doped ZnO varistors

A. Sedkya b, E. El-Suheelb   

  1. a Physics Department, Faculty of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Hassa 31982, P.O.B 400, Saudi Arabia;
    b Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
  • 收稿日期:2012-05-01 修回日期:2012-07-04 出版日期:2012-10-01 发布日期:2012-10-01

Structural and electronic characteristics of pure and doped ZnO varistors

A. Sedkya b, E. El-Suheelb   

  1. a Physics Department, Faculty of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Hassa 31982, P.O.B 400, Saudi Arabia;
    b Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
  • Received:2012-05-01 Revised:2012-07-04 Online:2012-10-01 Published:2012-10-01
  • Contact: A. Sedky E-mail:sedky1960@yahoo.com

摘要: We report here structural, surface morphology, mechanical, and current-voltage characteristics of Zn1-xMxO ceramic samples with various x and M (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20, M = Ni, Cu). It is found that the considered dopants do not influence the well-known peaks related to the wurtzite structure of ZnO ceramics, while the shapes and the sizes of grains are clearly affected. The average crystalline diameters deduced from the SEM micrographs are between 2.06 μ and 4.8 μ for all samples. The oxygen element ratio is increased by both dopants. Interestingly, the potential barrier can be formed by adding Cu up to 0.20, while it is completely deformed by 0.025 Ni addition. The breakdown field can be enhanced up to 4138 V/cm by 0.025 Cu addition, followed by a decrease with further increase of Cu up to 0.20. On the other hand, a gradual decrease in Vickers microhardness is reported for both dopants, and the values in the Ni samples are higher compared to those in the Cu samples. The electrical conductivity is generally improved by Ni, while the addition of Cu improves it only in the over doped region ( ≥ 0.10). These results are discussed in terms of the differences of valency and ferromagnetic ordering.

关键词: semiconductors, chemical synthesis, impurity, electronic transport

Abstract: We report here structural, surface morphology, mechanical, and current-voltage characteristics of Zn1-xMxO ceramic samples with various x and M (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20, M = Ni, Cu). It is found that the considered dopants do not influence the well-known peaks related to the wurtzite structure of ZnO ceramics, while the shapes and the sizes of grains are clearly affected. The average crystalline diameters deduced from the SEM micrographs are between 2.06 μ and 4.8 μ for all samples. The oxygen element ratio is increased by both dopants. Interestingly, the potential barrier can be formed by adding Cu up to 0.20, while it is completely deformed by 0.025 Ni addition. The breakdown field can be enhanced up to 4138 V/cm by 0.025 Cu addition, followed by a decrease with further increase of Cu up to 0.20. On the other hand, a gradual decrease in Vickers microhardness is reported for both dopants, and the values in the Ni samples are higher compared to those in the Cu samples. The electrical conductivity is generally improved by Ni, while the addition of Cu improves it only in the over doped region ( ≥ 0.10). These results are discussed in terms of the differences of valency and ferromagnetic ordering.

Key words: semiconductors, chemical synthesis, impurity, electronic transport

中图分类号:  (Alloys )

  • 61.66.Dk
81.05.Gc (Amorphous semiconductors) 73.61.Jc (Amorphous semiconductors; glasses) 62.40.+i (Anelasticity, internal friction, stress relaxation, and mechanical resonances)