Efficient Up-Conversion ZnO Co-Doped (Er,Yb) Nanopowders Synthesized via the Sol-Gel Process for Photovoltaic Applications

In this study, undoped and (Erbium, Ytterbium) co-doped ZnO nanopowders were prepared using the sol-gel method and the supercritical drying of ethyl alcohol. Doping ZnO nanopowders were elaborated with 5 mol% of Er (5 Er: ZnO), 5 mol% of Er and 5 mol% of Yb (5 Er, 5 Yb: ZnO), and 5 mol% of Er and 10 mol% of Yb (5 Er, 10 Yb: ZnO) concentrations. The effects of the Yb concentration on the structural, morphological, photoluminescent, and electrical properties of the ZnO nanopowders were investigated. The main findings of this work were the crystallinization of all of the nanopowders in a hexagonal Wurtzite structure with a spheroidal morphology and a size of 60 nm. Hence, the doping concentration would affect the crystallinity and the morphology of the ZnO nanopowder. The UC (Up-Conversion) emissions were investigated under a 980 nm excitation. It was observed that (Er, Yb: ZnO) exhibited green, ranging between 525 nm and 550 nm and red up-converted emissions of 655 nm, due to the efficient energy transfer process between Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺. The absolute quantum yield percentage (QY %) of the doped nanopowders was measured as a function of power density at each up-converted emission. This would prove that (5 Er, 5 Yb: ZnO) had the highest QY percentage value of 6.31 ± 0.2% at a power density of 15.7 W/cm². Additionally, it had the highest excited state lifetime for green and red emissions. Moreover, the Hall effect measures showed that the resistivity decreased while the electron mobility increased after doping, suggesting that most of rare earth ions were located in the interstitial positions. The carrier concentration increased after doping until (5 Er, 5 Yb: ZnO), suggesting that the Zn²⁺ ions substituted the RE³⁺ ions. Then, the carrier concentration decreased, suggesting that doping with higher concentrations would cause grain boundary defects. These findings would suggest that (5 Er, 5 Yb: ZnO) would have the best electrical properties and the lowest band gap energy (3.24 eV). Therefore, the presented preparation of the (Er, Yb: ZnO) nanopowders elaborated, using the sol-gel process would be a potential interesting material for UC applications.