Incorporation of boron in ZnO film from an aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate and dimethylamine-borane by electrochemical reaction

Conductive zinc oxide (ZnO) films with a thickness of 1.5 mum on non-conductive glass substrates were prepared by chemical deposition followed by electrochemical growth in a zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)(2).6H(2)O) aqueous solution containing dimethylamine-borane (DMAB) at 333 K. The electrochemically grown ZnO film exhibited a decrease in resistivity and a remarkable increase in carrier concentration and mobility of ZnO films, as compared with those of ZnO film prepared by chemical deposition only. A ZnO film electrochemically grown at a cathodic potential of -0.8 V showed resistivity of 7.8 X 10(-3) Omegacm with carrier concentration of 4.21 X 10(19) cm(-3) and carrier mobility of 86 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). The carrier concentration strongly related to the amount of boron atoms, which originated from DMAB and acted as a donor in ZnO film. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.