Erbium Induced Raman Studies And Dielectric Properties Of Er-doped ZnO Nanoparticles

¹Department of Physics, JNTUA College of Engineering, Anantapuramu 515 002, India

²Govt. Degree College, Puttur, Chittoor 517 583, India 

Adv. Mater. Lett., 2015, 6 (8), pp 743-748

DOI: 10.5185/amlett.2015.5801

Publication Date (Web): Aug 02, 2015

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Abstract

Pure and erbium (1.30, 1.79, 2.83 and 3.53 at. %) doped ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized by wet chemical co-precipitation method. The synthesized samples are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, UV–visible diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and LCR Impedance spectroscopy. The XRD measurements confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of all samples and size of the particle is found to be decreased with Er content. TEM images show spherical shape with more agglomeration in Er doped ZnO nanoparticles. Raman spectra confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of pure and Er doped ZnO nanoparticles with E₂ (high) mode at 438 cm ^-1 and presence of other possible defects. UV visible DRS shows decrease in the band gap with increasing Er³⁺ in ZnO host. Dielectric constant, dielectric loss factor and ac conductivity properties were decreased with Er dopant in tune with Maxwell -Wagner principle and surface-orientation polarizations.

Keywords

Zinc oxide, erbium, dielectric constant, nanoparticles.