Why the bandgap energy decreases with increase in substrate temperature in thin films?5 answersThe bandgap energy decreases with an increase in substrate temperature in thin films due to various factors. For instance, in CdS thin films, the bandgap widens as the substrate temperature rises, leading to a decrease in bandgap energy. Similarly, in SnO thin films, the bandgap energy increases with substrate temperature for both core and biphasic films. Additionally, in fullerene thin films, an increased energy gap is demonstrated with temperature, leading to improved photopic and solar transmittances. These trends suggest that the optical and structural properties of thin films are highly temperature-dependent, influencing the bandgap energy inversely with substrate temperature.
How do oxygen vacancies alter the bandgap of a material?4 answersOxygen vacancies in materials can alter the bandgap by narrowing it. The presence of oxygen vacancies creates mid-bandgap states, which effectively reduces the bandgap width. Highly concentrated oxygen vacancies can significantly narrow the bandgap of semiconductors, reducing the energy required for electron transition. In addition, oxygen vacancies increase the active sites on the material surface, enhancing chemisorption and improving the adsorption performance. The introduction of oxygen vacancies also improves the electrical conductivity and light absorption ability of the material. The effect of oxygen vacancies on the bandgap depends on the specific material and its composition. For example, in nonstoichiometric aluminum oxide, the presence of oxygen vacancies leads to the appearance of additional electronic states, resulting in a decrease in the energy gap. Overall, oxygen vacancies play a crucial role in altering the bandgap of materials, influencing their electronic and optical properties.
Why does the band gap energy decrease with increasing concentration doping thin film?5 answersThe band gap energy of doped thin films decreases with increasing concentration of doping materials. In the case of SnO2 thin films, the higher the doping material concentration, the lower the resulting band gap energy value. Similarly, in CdS thin films, the band gap energy decreases with an increase in the concentration of cadmium as a constituent of the bath. For the 0.3BaTiO3 – 0.7BaZr0.5Ti0.5O3 thin film, an increase in annealing temperature causes a decrease in the band gap energy. In oxide thin-film transistors, the incorporation of wide bandgap Ga2O3 into In2O3 widens the band gap and improves the stability against negative-bias illumination stress. In PbS thin films, the optical bandgap value increases with increasing zinc doping concentration. Overall, the decrease in band gap energy with increasing doping concentration can be attributed to the alteration of the electronic structure and the introduction of additional energy levels within the band gap.
How can the photocatalytic activity of Co3O4 thin films be improved?5 answersThe photocatalytic activity of Co3O4 thin films can be improved by various methods. One approach is to enhance light absorption and prevent electron-hole pair recombination by constructing a hollow macroscopic spherical structure of Co3O4@C-2 composite photocatalysts. Another method is to dip-coat the Co3O4 thin films on pretreated glass substrates at specific withdrawal speeds, which results in high photocatalytic efficiency. Additionally, the addition of hole-scavengers such as H2O2, EDTA, and Octan-1 can enhance the degradation of organic dyes. Furthermore, the combination of Co3O4 with graphitized carbon can improve structural stability, reusability, and low biotoxicity. Finally, the addition of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) to zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films can tune the photosensitivity of radiation sensors in a specific wavelength range.
How does the difference in bandgap affect the photodetector?5 answersThe difference in bandgap affects the photodetector by influencing its responsivity and wavelength range. In the case of AlInN-based photodetectors, the defect energy level contributes to the multi-wavelength response of low-energy incident light, resulting in improved responsivity, external quantum efficiency, and detectivity. For AlxZn1-xO-based photodetectors, the bandgap engineering allows for detection of deep-UV irradiation, with cutoff wavelengths located in the UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C regions. In the case of Silicon-Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) distributed heterojunctions, the sub-bandgap transition enables efficient photoexcitation and improved responsivity in the sub-bandgap regime, without the need for plasmonic interactions. Therefore, the difference in bandgap plays a crucial role in determining the performance and wavelength range of photodetectors.
What is the bandgap of ZnO?3 answersThe bandgap of ZnO varies depending on the specific study. The bandgap energies reported in the abstracts range from 2.055 eVto 3.51 eV. Other reported bandgap energies include 3.107 eV, 3.239 eV, 3.248 eV, 3.32(7) eV, 3.35(3) eV, 3.38 eV, and 3.80 eV. These variations in bandgap energy can be attributed to factors such as doping concentration, crystal structure, and nanostructure shape.