EFFECT OF SILVER DOPING ON IRON OXIDE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES.

Iron silver oxide (Ag<italic>x</italic>Fe2−xO3; 0<x<2) structure for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting was grown by RF–DC co-sputtering of an iron–silver target in argon/oxygen plasma mixtures at 300°C, followed by thermal annealing at 560°C. The chemical composition and structure of the deposited film can be tuned by controlling the metal doping and the annealing temperature. The thermal treatment extensively improves the PEC water-splitting performances of the films. XRD patterns of Ag<italic>x</italic>Fe2−xO3 shown in the figure can be indexed to the hexagonal structure of silver oxide and the rhombohedral structure of hematite and new X-ray Diffraction (XRD) peaks of Ag<italic>x</italic>Fe2−xO3 structure. The annealing and doping process seems to cause a serious change in the crystal structure of the thin film, it showed a serious change in its electrical properties. The electrical parameters of resistance for thin films were measured using the Hall measurement method at room temperature. With Hall measurements, the <italic>n</italic>-type carrier concentration of the Fe2O3 structure was calculated, and it was observed that its resistance was 1MΩ. Likewise, it was observed that Ag<italic>x</italic>Fe2−xO3 exhibited an <italic>n</italic>-type carrier concentration, and its resistance was calculated to be 0.5MΩ. The conductivity change is based on silver doping. The doping process seems to cause a change in the bandgap of the thin film, it showed a change in its optical properties. The film’s optical absorption was measured by UV–Vis photo spectroscopy. Subsequently, the structural and topographic properties of Ag<italic>x</italic>Fe2−xO3 structures were investigated by high-precision characterization devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]