Impact of Cu concentration on the properties of sol-gel spin-coated Cu-ZnZrSnO thin films: evaluation of Ag/Cu-ZrZnSn/p-Si/Al Schottky diodes

Zinc Zirconium Tin (Zn(2-x)ZrSn/Cux) doped with (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 mol%) copper thin films were prepared with organic additives of polyethylene glycol (PEG), and citric acid (CA), through sol-gel/spin coating process on glass and p-Si substrates. These nanosized ZZSn-Cu films were calcined at 600 °C and their morpho-structural, optical, and electrical properties were studied. SEM exhibited the nanosized ZnZrSnO and (0.3, 0.9 mol%) films are composed of small regular shapes and nano-cubic grains closely packed structure, due to the crystal growing. Both types (direct and indirect) of optical transition were detected with a more probability of direct type. Nearly no change in the bandgap and refractive index with Cu co-doping of ZrZnSnO films. At low potential region (V ≤ 0.25), the ideality factor, the barrier height, the series resistance values of the prepared Schottky junctions were estimated from the I-V curve and modified Nordes equation at dark environment. At a higher potential region (0.25