Nanocomposite Thin Films: Structural, Electrical, and Optoelectronic Properties of n-ZnNiO/p-Si Heterostructures
Source abstract
Abstract
This work investigated the structural, morphological, electrical and photovoltaic properties of n-ZnNiO/p-Si heterostructures. ZnNiO nanocomposite thin films were fabricated on p-Si (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition, enabling the formation of n-type oxide/p-type silicon heterojunctions. The crystalline structure and surface morphology of the deposited thin films were examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, revealing well-defined crystalline features and uniform surface morphology. The electrical characteristics were analyzed through current–voltage measurements, allowing the extraction of key diode parameters. In addition, the optoelectronic response under ultraviolet illumination was investigated, demonstrating pronounced photosensitivity in the UV spectral range. Several important electrical and optoelectronic parameters relevant to ultraviolet photodetection were determined and discussed. The obtained results indicate that ZnNiO-based heterostructures combined with silicon substrates constitute a promising material platform for advanced optoelectronic and ultraviolet applications.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Semiconductor materials and interfaces · ZnO doping and properties · Dielectric properties of ceramics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Physics, Mathematics, Economy and Innovation Technologies, Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, 24 Ivan Franko St., 82100 Drogobych, Ukraine
Department of Physics, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12 Stepana Bandery St, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine
Institute of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
References (47)
Show source-provided references
1. Functional Properties of Transparent ZnO Thin Films Synthetized by Using Spray Pyrolysis for Environmental and Biomedical Applications10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.07.246 ↗
2. Zinc Oxide—From Synthesis to Application: A Review10.3390/ma7042833 ↗
3. Awasthi, K. (2021). Nanostructured Zinc Oxide: Synthesis, Properties and Applications, Elsevier. Metal Oxid.
4. Suchikova, Y., Nazarovets, S., Konuhova, M., and Popov, A.I. (2025). Binary Oxide Ceramics (TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3, SiO2, CeO2, Fe2O3, and WO3) for Solar Cell Applications: A Comparative and Bibliometric Analysis. Ceramics, 8.10.3390/ceramics8040119 ↗
5. On the Optical Band Gap of Zinc Oxide10.1063/1.367375 ↗
6. Pedra, T.K., Carvalho, R.D., Fernandes, C.D., Gularte, L.T., Jauris, C.F.d.M., Moreira, E.C., Ferrer, M.M., Raubach, C.W., Cava, S.d.S., and Jardim, P.L.G. (2024). Physical and Chemical Approaches of Photovoltaic Parameters in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells to ZnO/ZnS:RGO-Based Photoelectrodes. Appl. Sci., 15.10.3390/app15010291 ↗
7. Tong, C., Kumar, M., Yun, J.-H., Kim, J., and Kim, S.J. (2020). High-Quality ITO/Al-ZnO/n-Si Heterostructures with Junction Engineering for Improved Photovoltaic Performance. Appl. Sci., 10.10.3390/app10155285 ↗
8. Lérondel, G., Cho, Y.-H., and Kawata, S. (2018). UV Detectors: Status and Prospects. Proceedings of the UV and Higher Energy Photonics: From Materials to Applications 2018, SPIE.
9. New Concept Ultraviolet Photodetectors10.1016/j.mattod.2015.06.001 ↗
10. Electrical Characterization of Si/ZnO Nanorod PN Heterojunction Diode10.1155/2020/6410573 ↗
11. Controlling the Recombination of Electron-Hole Pairs by Changing the Shape of ZnO Nanorods via Sol-Gel Method Using Water and Their Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties10.1007/s11814-019-0401-0 ↗
12. Borysiewicz, M.A. (2019). ZnO as a Functional Material, a Review. Crystals, 9.10.3390/cryst9100505 ↗
13. Cieniek, B., Stefaniuk, I., Virt, I., Gamernyk, R.V., and Rogalska, I. (2022). Zinc–Cobalt Oxide Thin Films: High Curie Temperature Studied by Electron Magnetic Resonance. Molecules, 27.10.3390/molecules27238500 ↗
14. Investigation of Structural, Morphological, and Optical Properties of (Ni/Co, Fe/Co, and Fe/Ni) Co-Doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Spin Coating Technique10.1007/s10971-024-06376-y ↗
15. Gartner, M., Chelu, M., Szekeres, A., and Petrik, P. (2025). Towards Advanced Materials: Functional Perspectives of Co-Doped ZnO Thin Films. Micromachines, 16.10.3390/mi16101179 ↗
16. Sood, S., Kumar, P., Raina, I., Misra, M., Kaushal, S., Gaur, J., Kumar, S., and Singh, G. (2025). Enhancing Optoelectronic Performance Through Rare-Earth-Doped ZnO: Insights and Applications. Photonics, 12.10.3390/photonics12050454 ↗
17. Enhanced Photoelectrochemical and Optical Performance of ZnO Films Tuned by Cr Doping10.1007/s00339-017-0880-y ↗
18. Experimental and DFT Study of Structural and Optical Properties of Ni-Doped ZnO Nanofiber Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications10.1016/j.optmat.2022.113188 ↗
19. Structural and Optoelectronic Properties of Ni-Doped ZnO-Based Thin Films Deposited by Co-Precipitation Spin-Coating Method10.1007/s11664-025-11971-y ↗
20. β-Ga2O3/p-Si Heterojunction Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetector with Enhanced Photoelectric Responsivity10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.11.145 ↗
21. Comb-Shaped Emitter Engineered p-NiO/n-ZnGa2O4/p-Si Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor for High-Performance Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Photodetection10.1021/acsphotonics.5c01012 ↗
22. Structural and Electrical Characterization of Cd-Doped ZnO Thin Films Produced on p-Type Si Substrate by SILAR Technique10.1007/s10854-023-11134-x ↗
23. Advanced Nano-Texture, Optical Bandgap, and Urbach Energy Analysis of NiO/Si Heterojunctions10.1038/s41598-023-33713-y ↗
24. Effect of Various Processing Parameters on the Properties of ZnO Thin Films10.1016/j.hybadv.2024.100295 ↗
25. Estimation of Average Crystallites Size of Active Phase in Ceria-Supported Cobalt-Based Catalysts by Hydrogen Chemisorption vs TEM and XRD Methods10.1007/s10562-016-1843-1 ↗
26. Growth of High Aspect Ratio ZnO Nanorods by Solution Process: Effect of Polyethyleneimine10.1016/j.jssc.2011.12.008 ↗
27. Structural and Optical Properties of Ni-Doped ZnO Thin Films as TCO Material, Fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition Method10.1016/j.optmat.2024.115643 ↗
28. Optical Properties of ZnO:TM (TM = Cr, Mn and Co) Layers Obtained by Pulsed Laser Deposition Technique10.3116/16091833/20/4/143/2019 ↗
29. Characterization of AZO/p-Si Heterojunction Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.mssp.2009.12.006 ↗
30. Raship, N.A., Tawil, S.N.M., Nayan, N., and Ismail, K. (2023). Effect of Al Concentration on Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of (Gd, Al) Co-Doped ZnO and Its n-ZnO/p-Si (1 0 0) Heterojunction Structures Prepared via Co-Sputtering Method. Materials, 16.10.3390/ma16062392 ↗
31. Effects of Thermal Annealing on the Characterization of P-NiO/n-GaAs Heterojunctions Produced by Thermal Evaporation10.1007/s10854-021-05924-4 ↗
32. The Effects of Deposition Temperature and Ambient on the Physical and Electrical Performance of DC-Sputtered n-ZnO/p-Si Heterojunction10.1007/s00339-009-5386-9 ↗
33. A Theoretical Analysis of the Role of Ambipolar Diffusion in Charge-Carrier Transport in a Quasi-Neutral Region under High Injection10.1109/TNS.2011.2161884 ↗
34. Saw, K.G., Tneh, S.S., Yam, F.K., Ng, S.S., and Hassan, Z. (2014). Determination of Acceptor Concentration, Depletion Width, Donor Level Movement and Sensitivity Factor of ZnO on Diamond Heterojunction under UV Illumination. PLoS ONE, 9.10.1371/journal.pone.0089348 ↗
35. Dielectric Properties of ZnO-Based Nanocomposites and Their Potential Applications10.1155/2021/9950202 ↗
36. Fabrication of β-Ga2O3/ZnO Heterojunction for Solar-Blind Deep Ultraviolet Photodetection10.1088/1361-6641/aa59b0 ↗
37. The Self-Powered Photodetector of n-Si/n-ZnO Heterojunction with Enhanced Temperature Adaptability via Transient Current Response10.1088/1361-6463/ac9c0e ↗
38. Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Thin Film for Modeling the Effect of Its Defectson ZnO/Cu2O Solar Cell EQE10.21272/jnep.13(1).01009 ↗
39. A Study on the Electrical Characteristic of N-ZnO/p-Si Heterojunction Diode Prepared by Vacuum Coating Technique10.1016/j.spmi.2014.05.011 ↗
40. Optoelectronic Properties of P-n and p-i-n Heterojunction Devices Prepared by Electrodeposition of n-ZnO on p-Si10.1063/1.3490622 ↗
41. Light-Induced Pyroelectric Effect as an Effective Approach for Ultrafast Ultraviolet Nanosensing10.1038/ncomms9401 ↗
42. Photoelectric Characteristics of Al-Doped ZnO/p-Si Diode Prepared by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering10.1088/1361-6463/ac95a1 ↗
43. Equivalent Circuit Model to Reach Complicated Surface Photovoltage Transient Shapes in ZnO Thin Films10.21272/jnep.16(2).02023 ↗
44. Low Power Consumption UV Sensor Based on N-ZnO/p-Si Junctions10.1007/s10854-019-02337-2 ↗
45. Photoelectric Properties of N-ZnO/p-Si Heterostructures10.3103/S0003701X21060177 ↗
46. Current-Voltage Characteristics of Nano Whisker ZnO/Si Heterojunction under UV Exposition10.1016/j.sna.2022.113618 ↗
47. P-Zn O∕n—Si Heterojunction: Sol-Gel Fabrication, Photoresponse Properties, and Transport Mechanism10.1063/1.2937124 ↗