Fabrication of a Si/ZnO Heterojunction Diode Using a Nonconventional Sol–Gel Method

PN heterojunction diodes are very useful for solar cell, light-emitting diode, and photodiode applications. In this paper, PN heterojunction diodes were successfully fabricated using p -type silicon and zinc oxide (ZnO) grown by a nonconventional sol–gel technique. The current–voltage ( I – V ) characteristics of the prepared diode were measured at room temperature. The significant parameters including static resistance, dynamic resistance, and rectifying behavior were estimated. In contrast to the conventional method, the ZnO powder precursor used in this work has extremely high thermal and chemical stability. Also, this method is cost-effective due to the use of laboratory-grade ZnO powder. The effect of doping on these characteristics and parameters was studied in detail. Graphic Abstract