Study of temperature dependences and electrical properties of thin films of Ag2S quantum dots

Abstract

The results of studying the electrical properties of thin films of colloidal quantum dots (QDs), Ag2S/SiO2 and Ag2S/SiO2/Au, are interesting and important for understanding the behavior of these materials. Additional studies made it possible to determine the temperature dependences of conductivity in the range from 300 to 360 K, which made it possible to study changes in the electrical properties of materials depending on temperature. Activation energy values obtained from linear approximations of current-voltage characteristics in Arrhenius coordinates have become key to determining energy barriers and conduction mechanisms in these systems. Decorating Ag2S quantum dots with plasmonic gold nanoparticles also has the potential to improve the electrical properties of materials and create new functional characteristics. The results obtained can have a wide range of applications in the field of nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, sensors and other technologies that require precise control of the electrical properties of materials at different temperatures. Decoration of Ag2S/SiO2 QDs with plasmonic gold nanoparticles leads to an increase in the band gap from 0.29 to 0.89 eV. This effect can be explained by the interaction between gold plasmons and Ag2S/SiO2 electrons, which leads to a change in the properties of the material. It has been shown that decorating Ag2S/SiO2 QDs with Au nanoparticles leads to a change in the type of conductivity. Finally, calculating the mobility of charge carriers according to the Mott-Gurney model allows for a deeper understanding of the conductivity mechanisms in the presented thin-film structures.