Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Defect-Related Magnetic Properties Of Nanostructured Nickel Oxide Thin Films For Solar Cell Applications, Angela E. Ezugwu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are extensively investigated because of their applications as transparent electrodes in solar cells and light-emitting devices. TCOs of interest include indium-tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, nickel oxide (NiO), and their combinations. There is strong interest in NiO because no heteroatoms are required to “dope” it at high transparency levels. It has been speculated that paramagnetic defects due to Ni³⁺ centers and O interstitials are responsible for the electrical conductivity of otherwise insulating and antiferromagnetic NiO, but direct investigation of such defects has been limited. Here, the electrical conductivity in nanostructured NiO thin films is investigated …