A comprehensive review on Mg-doped ZnO thin film and nanostructure: Properties and applications

Abstract

Zinc oxide, which possesses a wurtzite crystal structure, is a highly versatile material recognized for its excellent conductivity, optical transparency, and wide-ranging applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and biomedical fields. Among various modifications, magnesium-doped zinc oxide has garnered significant attention for its ability to tailor the properties of zinc oxide, thereby making it suitable for advanced industrial applications. Magnesium doping enables precise control over structural, optical, electrical, and thermal characteristics, resulting in enhanced crystallinity, a modified bandgap, and improved morphological properties. Magnesium-doped zinc oxide nanostructures, including thin films, nanorods, and nanotubes, exhibit diverse functionalities that broaden their applications in thin-film transistors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, biosensors, and gas sensors. Most published reviews have concentrated on the properties or applications of magnesium-doped zinc oxide thin films and nanostructures. However, there is a notable gap in reviews correlating both the properties and applications of magnesium-doped zinc oxide, which this comprehensive review seeks to address. It investigates the effects of magnesium-doped zinc oxide properties, particularly regarding its structural and morphological evolution, as well as its thermal and optical behavior. Key findings underscore how magnesium incorporation impacts lattice strain, modulates defect density, and promotes nanostructural modification factors that are critical for performance improvements in optoelectronics, biomedical, and energy devices. This review emphasizes the transformative potential of magnesium-doped zinc oxide nanostructures in advancing next-generation technologies by integrating findings from a broad spectrum of applications. It also offers insights into experimental and theoretical approaches for synthesizing magnesium-doped zinc oxide nanostructures through various deposition methods, highlighting challenges and limitations associated with magnesium doping, such as phase separation at higher doping levels. Additionally, the review outlines potential future directions for research and innovation in this field.