Structural Properties and Temperature Behaviour of Optical Absorption Edge in Polycrystalline ZnO:X (Cu,Ag) Films

Silver- and copper-doped ZnO lms were prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on glass substrates.The in uence of dopants content on the structural, morphological properties as well as on evolution of the opticalabsorption edge was considered. It has been found that Ag- and Cu-doped ZnO lms are characterized by wurtzitecrystalline structure with the preferred direction of crystalline orientation (002). The sizes of grains within the lms were found to be dependent on the type of dopant. The temperature evolution of the optical absorption edgeis described by the modi ed Urbach rule that re ects polycrystalline nature of the material. The correspondingparameters concerning electron (exciton ) phonon interaction, phonon energies and temperature changes of theband-gap were determined and analysed.