Effects of the Cu Ion on the Structural and Optical Properties of Yttrium Doped ZnO by Solution Combustion

Abstract

In this experiment, pure, Y3+ doped ZnO and Cu2+ + Y3+ co-doped ZnO were synthesized by a solution combustion method. The Y3+ dopant concentration was fixed in 3%wt. and the Cu2+ dopant concentrations were 0, 1, 2, 3, 10, and 20%wt. The XRD spectra showed that the original hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO is conserved after doping process, an increasing red shift until 10%wt. Cu2+ doping and decrease at higher Cu2+ doping and also, the chemical creation of the news Y2O3 and Y2Cu2O5 phases. The behavior of the photoluminescence of the samples as a function of Cu2+ doping reveal that the green emission band of the ZnO is quenching and the ZnO UV emission intensity decrease notably for all Cu2+ doping. The scanning electron microscope analysis of the Cu2+ + Y3+ co-doped ZnO samples reveal the existence of grains agglutinated forming like-spheres particles. However, the nano-sized characteristic of the crystals is confirmed.