Direct evidence for Sb as a Zn site impurity in ZnO.

The lattice location of ion implanted antimony in zinc oxide has been determined by means of β- emission channeling from the radioactive 124Sb isotope. Following 30 keV implantation of 124Sb into a single-crystalline ZnO sample to a fluence of 1×1014 cm-2, the angular-dependent emission rate of β- particles around several crystallographic directions was measured with a position-sensitive Si detector. The majority of Sb was found to occupy Zn sites, with the possible fraction on O sites being at maximum 5%–6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]