SUNAG Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar 751 005, India.
Nanotechnology. 2016 Sep 16;27(37):375702. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/37/375702. Epub 2016 Aug 3.
We demonstrate that the work function of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) can be tuned externally by applying an electric field. Our experimental investigations using Kelvin probe force microscopy show that by applying a positive or negative tip bias, the work function of AZO film can be enhanced or reduced, which corroborates well with the observed charge transport using conductive atomic force microscopy. These findings are further confirmed by calculations based on first-principles theory. Tuning the work function of AZO by applying an external electric field is not only important to control the charge transport across it, but also to design an Ohmic contact for advanced functional devices.
我们证明了通过施加电场可以对外调节掺铝氧化锌（AZO）的功函数。我们使用 Kelvin 探针力显微镜进行的实验研究表明，通过施加正或负的针尖偏压，可以增强或降低 AZO 薄膜的功函数，这与使用导电原子力显微镜观察到的电荷输运情况非常吻合。这些发现进一步得到了基于第一性原理理论的计算的证实。通过施加外部电场来调节 AZO 的功函数不仅对于控制其内部的电荷输运很重要，而且对于设计用于先进功能器件的欧姆接触也很重要。
