Study on electronic transport performance of Ag-ZnO film by photoassisted conductive atomic force microscopy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the electronic transport performance of Ag-ZnO film under dark and UV light conditions. Design/methodology/approach Ag-doped ZnO thin films were prepared on fluorine thin oxide (FTO) substrates by sol-gel method. The crystal structure of ZnO and Ag-ZnO powders was tested by X-ray diffraction with Cu Kα radiation. The absorption spectra of ZnO and Ag-ZnO films were recorded by a UV–visible spectrophotometer. The micro electrical transport performance of Ag-ZnO thin films in dark and light state was investigated by photoassisted conductive atomic force microscope (PC-AFM). Findings The results show that the dark reverse current of Ag-ZnO films does not increase, but the reverse current increases significantly under illumination, indicating that the response of Ag-ZnO films to light is greatly improved, owing to the formation of Ohmic contact. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, the micro electrical transport performance of Ag-ZnO thin films in dark and light state was firstly investigated by PC-AFM.