Metal-oxide-based electrodes play a crucial role in various transparent conductive oxide (TCO) applications. Among the p-type materials, nickel oxide is a promising electrically conductive material due to its good stability, large bandgap, and deep valence band. Here, we display pristine and 3 at.%V-doped NiO synthesized by the solvothermal decomposition method. The properties of both the pristine and 3 at.%V:NiO nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The film properties were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a source meter. Our results suggest that incorporation of vanadium into the NiO lattice significantly improves both electrical conductivity and hole extraction. Also, 3 at.%V:NiO exhibits a lower crystalline size when compared to pristine nickel oxide, which maintains the reduction of surface roughness. These results indicate that vanadium is an excellent dopant for NiO.
Facile Synthesis of Highly Conductive Vanadium-Doped NiO Film for Transparent Conductive Oxide
