Microstructure of ZnO:Er Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

Er-doped ZnO (ZnO:Er) thin films were grown on quartz and p -Si substrates at 25°C by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. The effect of the heat treatment at 600 and 900°C on the properties of the films was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, atom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of contemporary physics Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 358 - 362
Main Author Gremenok, V. F.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.12.2022
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Grain size
Heat treatment
Magnetron sputtering
Microscopy
Particle and Nuclear Physics
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Pinholes
Silicon substrates
Thin films
Zinc oxide
magnetron sputtering
microstructural properties
rare-earth ions
erbium
ZnO films
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Summary:Er-doped ZnO (ZnO:Er) thin films were grown on quartz and p -Si substrates at 25°C by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method. The effect of the heat treatment at 600 and 900°C on the properties of the films was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. A homogeneous elements distribution is revealed for all investigated films on different substrates. ZnO:Er films were found to be uniform, pinhole-free, well adherent to the substrate and the crystal grain size is dependent on the type of substrate and the preparation conditions. All the films showed a (002) preferential orientation with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The results obtained from XRD spectra reveal that Er 3+ ions successfully substitute for Zn 2+ ions in the ZnO lattice.
ISSN:1068-3372
1934-9378
1934-9378
DOI:10.1134/S1068337222040089