Electrical conductivity improvement of Fe doped ZnO nanopowders

Abstract The chemical co-precipitation process was used for the synthesis of Fe-doped ZnO nanopowders (ZnO:Fe) with varying doping concentrations from 0% to 10%. Doping with iron caused significant alterations in the physical properties of ZnO nanopowders. The XRD analysis revealed that Fe introduction forms a secondary phase of spinel ZnFe2O4 for doping concentration higher than 1%. The average crystallite size was proven to decrease with the increase in Fe concentration. SEM images showed the formation of spherical nanoparticles, where the average grain size decreased with doping. The Fe incorporation into the ZnO host lattice was also confirmed by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The optical properties were strongly influenced by Fe doping. The dielectric parameters were subsequently investigated as a function of frequency and composition. The observed dielectric dispersion was interpreted on the basis of Maxwell-Wagner interfacial model and Koops phenomenological theory. Overall, Fe doping improved the electrical conductivity of ZnO nanopowders.