Doping of ZnO with magnetic materials by electrochemical method and nanocharacterization of its optical, electrical, morphological and structural properties

ZnO (Zinc Oxide) semiconductor oxide compound has formed the basis of many electronic and optoelectronic applications in recent years due to its widw range of applications. As a taransparent electrode in solar cells (Fortunato vd., 2005), in chemical and gas sensors (Rao, 2000), in spintronic devices (Liu vd., 2005) and light emitting diodes (Matsubara vd., 2003), in telecom communications, satellite broadcasting, discrete and multilayer capacitors, memories (Dang vd., 2003; Ram, 2010). It has been successfully used to convert organic pollutants into water via UV light or sunlight emission (Amine Khodjaa vd., 2001). However, the light-induced hole–electron pairs are quite low due to the quantum efficiency or rapid recombination of ZnO (Dindar ve İçli, 2001). Structural modifications have generally been used to increase the versatility of ZnO, with ion doping being the wellknown and most effective approach (Panatarani vd., 2004; Wang vd., 2006; Sajid Ali, 2012). Therefore, in this thesis study, the connection between the electrical, optical properties, structure and surface morphology of ZnO nanostructured materials and the dependence of the electrical, optical and structural properties of iron (Fe+3) ions-doped ZnO (ZnO:Fe) films on the Fe+3 ion concentration are investigated. Electrical, optical, structural and morphological properties of samples produced by Electrochemical Deposition (ED) Technique respectively obtained by Four-Point Probe, Ultraviolet–visible Spectroscopy (Uv-vis), Photoluminescence Spectrometry (PL), X-ray Diffraction Diffractometer (XRD), X-ray, respectively. Obtained by Photoelectron Spectrometry (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). As a result of the characterizations, the grain sizes and forbidden energy gaps of nanostructured ZnO:Fe semiconductor thin films decreased as the concentrations of Fe+3 ions increased, while their electrical conductivity increased. In this thesis study, nanostructured ZnO and Fe+3 ion-doped ZnO:Fe semiconductor material was produced using the Electrochemical Deposition (ED) Technique and Versa STAT 3 potentiostat. The production of ZnO and Fe+3 ion-doped ZnO:Fe thin films was carried out on an ITO-coated glass substrate by changing the Fe+3 ion dopant molarity.