Preparation and characterization of Mn-doped ZnO thin films

The Mn doped ZnO thin films (5.9 wt. %) (d = 140 - 300 nm) were prepared by thermal oxidation in ambient conditions, at 775 K, of the multilayered Zn/Mn thin stacks deposited in vacuum onto glass substrates by a modified version of two source evaporation technique. The XRD investigations revealed that the as doped ZnO films present a polycrystalline wurtzite structure with the predominant orientation of plane (002) parallel to the substrate surface. In respect of non-doped ZnO thin films, those Mn doped present a lower optical transmittance and an increase of the optical band gap. The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity (of about 1.6x10(-6) Omega(-1).cm(-1) at room temperature) of heat treated Mn doped ZnO films presents semiconducting characteristics.