Surface states due to deposited alkaline earth cations on ZnO

Surface states due to Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba ions deposited on ZnO as salts with varying anions have been examined, to make available a selection of nonvolatile surface states for later study, and to provide a relatively simple group of substitutional surface states that could be used to compare theories with experiment. The results indicate that Be⁺⁺ and Ba⁺⁺ additions lead to shallow acceptor levels, near or above the ZnO conduction band, while deeper acceptor levels (as low as 0.9 eV below the conduction band) are associated with Mg⁺⁺, Ca⁺⁺, and Sr⁺⁺ additions. The energy of the resulting surface state depends somewhat on whether the alkaline earth species is added as the hydroxide or the fluoride. There is evidence of a high density donor level at 1.1 eV below the conduction band perhaps associated with surface lattice oxygen or with OH^? groups. Arguments arepresented suggesting that the surface state is associated with the alkaline earth ions at lattice sites at the ZnO/additive interface, and some of the factors are discussed that must be considered in a theoretical model.