Surface electron accumulation and the charge neutrality level in In2O3
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries
Published on: November 10, 2014
P D C King1, T D Veal, D J Payne
1Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
High-resolution x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, infrared reflectivity and Hall effect measurements, combined with surface space-charge calculations, are used to show that electron accumulation occurs at the surface of undoped single-crystalline In2O3. From a combination of measurements performed on undoped and heavily Sn-doped samples, the charge neutrality level is shown to lie approximately 0.4 eV above the conduction band minimum in In2O3, explaining the electron accumulation at the surface of undoped material, the propensity for n-type conductivity, and the ease of n-type doping in In2O3, and hence its use as a transparent conducting oxide material.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ions and Ionic Charges
Fermi Level
At absolute zero temperature, electrons fill all energy states up to the Fermi level, leaving upper states empty. As the temperature rises,...
Ionic Bonding and Electron Transfer
The Electrical Double Layer
Electron Behavior
Electrons Orbit the Nucleus
Electrons are found in specific locations outside of the nucleus. The shell in which an electron resides indicates the general energy level of the electron: those closer to the nucleus have less energy,...
Electron Behavior

