Effect of dopants on the structural,optical and electrical properties of sol–gel derived ZnO semiconductor thin films

Undoped, Ga-, In-, Zr-, and Sn-doped ZnO transparent semiconductor thin films were deposited on alkali-free glasses by sol–gel method. 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) and diethanolamine (DEA) were chosen as a solvent and a stabilizer, respectively. The doping concentration was maintained at 2 at.% in the impurity doping precursor solutions. The effects of different dopants on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated. XRD results show that all annealed ZnO-based thin films had a hexagonal (wurtzite) structure. ZnO thin films doped with impurity elements obviously improved the surface flatness and enhanced the optical transmittance. All impurity doped ZnO thin films showed high transparency in the visible range (>91%). The Ga- and In- doped ZnO thin films exhibited higher Hall mobility and lower resistivity than did the undoped ZnO thin film.     

Studies of magnetic resonance phenomena in polymers. II. Molecular motions in poly(methyl methacrylate) as studied by spin-probe and spin-label methods

Thin films of spin-probed and spin-labeled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been examined by electron spin resonance (ESR) in the temperature range of 77–520°K. The rotational correlation times of nitroxides used as spin probes and labels have been determined as a function of temperature from which activation energies are also determined. The nitroxide rotational times are found to strongly correlate with local segmental and side-chain motions of the host PMMA matrix. Five discrete molecular motions are detected in PMMA along with their activation energies as measured: side-chain CH₃ rotation (1 Kcal/mol), main-chain CH₃ rotation (2 Kcal/mol), ester side-chain COOCH₃ rotation around the C? C bond (4 Kcal/mol), main-chain C? C bond rotation (6 Kcal/mol), and side-chain OCH₃ rotation around the C? O bond (18 Kcal/mol). The activation energies determined by ESR are consistent with the potential-energy barriers calculated theoretically for various rotations in PMMA. It is concluded that the probe and label rotational motions do respond to localized, small-scale segmental and side-chain motions of host polymers but are relatively ineffective in response to the large-scale segmental motion with an activation energy larger than 20 Kcal/mol in the case of PMMA.