Fabrication of a ZnO:Al/Amorphous-FeSi₂ Heterojunction at Room Temperature

A prototype ZnO:Al/amorphous-FeSi₂ heterojunction was successfully prepared on a glass substrate by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The structural and electrical properties of as−deposited FeSi₂ thin films were investigated using x−ray diffraction, Raman scattering, resistivity, and carrier lifetime measurement. The FeSi₂ thin film showed an amorphous phase with resistivity of 9.685 Ω⋅cm and carrier lifetime of 9.5 µs. The prototype ZnO:Al/amorphous−FeSi₂ heterojunction exhibited a rectifying property of the diode from the dark current−voltage characteristic. This propert was evaluated using the shunt resistance and diode ideal factor. The experimental results suggest that the amorphous-FeSi₂ thin film has promising applications in heterojunction devices with low thermal budget and low product cost.