Composition, Structure and Electrical Resistivity of ZnO_1-x Films Deposited by RF Magnetron Sputtering under Various O₂/Ar Gas Ratios

Abstract:

ZnO_1-x thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on conducting silicon wafers at room temperature with ZnO_n (n≤1) target under an atmosphere of O₂/Ar ratio varying from 0 to 2.0. The correlation between composition, structure and electrical resistivity of the obtained films was investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the prepared würtzite ZnO_1-x films had c-axis preferential growth orientation. When the O₂/Ar ratio was lower than 0.5, the main form of defects in the films was oxygen vacancy; when it was 0.5, the composition of the film approached to the stoichiometric ZnO and had the least number of defects; after that, the main type of defects in the films was interstitial zinc. Thus, with increasing O₂/Ar ratio, the electrical resistivity of the films increased first and then decreased.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 697)
• Pages: 723-726
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.697.723
• Online since: July 2016
• Authors: Yang Wang, Zhi Jian Peng*, Qi Wang, Xiu Li Fu
• Keywords: Electrical Resistivity, RF Magnetron Sputtering, Thin Film, Zinc Oxide

References

[1] O Kluth, B Rech, L Houben, et al., Texture etched ZnO: Al coated glass substrates for silicon based thin film solar cells, Thin Solid Films 351 (1999) 247-253.

DOI: 10.1016/s0040-6090(99)00085-1

[2] T Minami, T Miyata, Present status and future prospects for development of non- or reduced-indium transparent conducting oxide thin films, Thin Solid Films 517 (2008) 1474-1477.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2008.09.059

[3] S Logothetidis, A Laskarakis, S Kassavetis, et al., Optical and structural properties of ZnO for transparent electronics, Thin Solid Films 516 (2008) 1345-1349.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2007.03.171

[4] M Suchea, S Christoulakis, K Moschovis, et al., ZnO transparent thin films for gas sensor applications, Thin Solid Films 515 (2006) 551-554.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.12.295

[5] J Y Kim, M C Kim, J K Yu, et al., H2/Ar and vacuum annealing effect of ZnO thin films deposited by RFmagnetron sputtering system, Current Appl. Phys. 10 (2010) S495-S498.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cap.2010.02.041

[6] M F Al-Kuhaili, S M A Durrani, I A Bakhtiari, et al., Optical constants of vacuum annealed radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtered zinc oxide thin films, Opt. Commun. 285 (2012) 4405-4412.

DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2012.06.031

[7] I T Tang, Y C Wang, W C Hwang, et al., Investigation of piezoelectric ZnO film deposited on diamond like carbon coated onto Si substrate under different sputtering conditions, J. Cryst. Growth 252 (2003) 190-198.

DOI: 10.1016/s0022-0248(02)02496-x

[8] F Conchon, P O Renault, P Goudeau, et al., X-ray diffraction analysis of thermally-induced stress relaxation in ZnO films deposited by magnetron sputtering on (100) Si substrates, Thin Solid Films 518 (2010) 5237-5241.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.04.037

[9] S I Kwon, S J Lee, T H Jung, S B Park, et al., High density plasma treatment of polyimide substrate to improve structural and electrical properties of Ga-doped ZnO films, Thin Solid Films 517 (2009) 6298-6300.

DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2009.02.112

[10] A Mosbah, A Moustaghfir, S Abed, et al., Comparison of the structural and optical properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited by d. c. and r. f. sputtering and spray pyrolysis, Surf. Coat. Technol. 200 (2005) 293-296.

DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.02.012