Ultraviolet photodetectors and methods of making ultraviolet photodetectors

1. A method of making an ultraviolet (UV) photodetector, comprising:

applying a metal-containing solution to a substrate using a spin coat technique to form a metal-containing coat, wherein the metal-containing solution comprises a stabilizer;

baking the metal-containing coat;

pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat to form a metal-containing oxide film according to Mg x Zn (1-x) O with a cubic crystalline structure; and

calcining the metal-containing oxide film to form a metal-containing oxide layer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein applying the metal-containing solution includes applying the metal-containing solution over a metal-containing oxide film.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing oxide film is a first metal-containing oxide film, and further including:

applying a metal-containing solution having magnesium and zinc to the first metal-containing oxide film using a spin coat technique; and

pyrolyzing the applied metal-containing solution to form a second metal-containing oxide film overlaying the first metal-containing oxide film.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , further including calcining the metal-containing oxide film to form a second metal-containing oxide layer.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein baking includes a predetermined baking temperature of about 150 degrees Celsius and a predetermined baking time interval of about five (5) minutes.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat includes placing the metal-containing coat in a furnace and flowing an inert gas over the metal-containing coat to decompose, but not oxidize or make volatile organic ligands in the metal-containing coat.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the inert gas includes a gas from a group nitrogen, argon, and helium.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat at a temperature that is between about 450 degrees Celsius and about 550 degrees Celsius.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat for a pyrolyzing time interval that is between about five (5) minutes and about thirty (30) minutes.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 , further including pyrolyzing the metal-containing coat at about 500 degrees Celsius for about five (5) minutes.

11. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace with oxygen-containing atmosphere to oxidize and remove interstitial zinc from the metal-containing oxide film.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the oxygen-containing atmosphere comprises oxygen at a concentration that twenty (20) percent or greater.

13. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace pre-heated to a calcining temperature of between about 650 degrees Celsius and about 750 degrees Celsius.

14. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace for a calcining time interval of between about ten (10) minutes and about thirty (30) minutes.

15. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein calcining includes placing the metal-containing oxide film in a furnace pre-heated to about 750 degree Celsius for about ten (10) minutes.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 , further including annealing the metal-containing oxide film.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein annealing includes placing the metal-containing oxide layer in a furnace with a static atmosphere.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein annealing includes placing the metal-containing oxide layer in a furnace with a temperature between about 200 degrees Celsius and about 400 degrees Celsius for between about thirty (30) minutes and about four (4) hours.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 , further including quenching the metal-containing oxide film.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes an organometallic magnesium source, and organometallic zinc source, a solvent, and a stabilizer.

21. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes at least one of diethanolamine, toluene, zinc 2-ethylhexanoate, and magnesium 2-ethylhexanoate.

22. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes magnesium and zinc in a ratio range between about 0.5 to 0.5 and about 0.8 to 0.2.

23. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing solution includes magnesium and zinc in a ratio of about 0.72 to 0.28.

24. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer comprises a tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive having an amino alcohol.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises one or more hydroxyl groups.

26. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a primary amine.

27. The as recited in claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a secondary amine.

28. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol comprises a tertiary amine.

29. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the amino alcohol is monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, hetpaminol, isoetarine, noepinephrine, propanolamine, shphingosine, or methanolamine.

30. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer comprises a tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive, and further comprising adding the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive to a solution of organometallic precursor prior to deposition to form the metal-containing solution.

31. The method as recited in claim 30 , wherein the organometallic precursor is a metal 2-ethylhexanoate.

32. The method as recited in claim 31 , wherein the metal 2-ethylhexanoate is magnesium 2-ethyl hexanoate or zinc 2-ethylhexanoate.

33. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive includes diethanolamine.

34. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive is added to the organometallic precursor in a ratio of between 0.05 to 1 and 1 to 1 of additive to total weight of all metals in the solution.

35. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the tri-functional chemical solution deposition additive is added to the organometallic precursor in a 1 to 1 ratio.