Detailed structural, morphological, optical and defect study of vacuum-free processed alkali lithium doped ZnO thin films for optoelectronic applications

In this report, the influence of lithium incorporation on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of chemically derived ZnO thin films was investigated. The study utilized various lithium salts and that, molar ratios, observed that the best crystal structure and morphology were obtained from LiCl salt at 3% doping. The findings reveal a significant increase in electron mobility of 3% LiCl doped ZnO (5.708 × 101 cm2/V.s) attributed to the coalescence of the grain size, which enhanced the mean free path of the carriers. In contrast to the most previous studies, a remarkable enhancement in transmittance spectra (specifically, 5% and 7% LiCl doped ZnO exhibited average transmission 95,4% and 94,8%, respectively) was observed that was considered to be very valueable to being functional layer for optoelectronic applications. The origin of defect emission carried out by means of the photoluminescence spectra depends on the alkali lithium ions, suggesting that these potential luminescent devices have promosing characteristics for optoelectronic and luminescent applications.