Conduction-band effective mass and bandgap of ZnSnN₂ earth-abundant solar absorber

Pseudo III-V nitride ZnSnN₂ is an earth-abundant semiconductor with a high optical absorption coefficient in the solar spectrum. Its bandgap can be tuned by controlling the cation sublattice disorder. Thus, it is a potential candidate for photovoltaic absorber materials. However, its important basic properties such as the intrinsic bandgap and effective mass have not yet been quantitatively determined. This paper presents a detailed optical absorption analysis of disordered ZnSnN₂ degenerately doped with oxygen (ZnSnN_2-x O _x ) in the ultraviolet to infrared region to determine the conduction-band effective mass (m _c^*) and intrinsic bandgap (E _g). ZnSnN_2-x O _x epilayers are n-type degenerate semiconductors, which exhibit clear free-electron absorption in the infrared region. By analysing the free-electron absorption using the Drude model, m _c^* was determined to be (0.37 ± 0.05)m ₀ (m ₀ denotes the free electron mass). The fundamental absorption edge in the visible to ultraviolet region shows a blue shift with increasing electron density. The analysis of the blue shift in the framework of the Burstein-Moss effect gives the E _g value of 0.94 ± 0.02 eV. We believe that the findings of this study will provide important information to establish this material as a photovoltaic absorber.