Effects of radio frequency power on structural, optical, and electronic properties of sputter-deposited ZnO:B thin films

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 124; no. 7; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Wong, Lian-Hong, Lai, Yi-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied physics; Boron; Carrier density; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Electrical resistivity; Electron mobility; Hall effect; Machines; Magnetron sputtering; Manufacturing; Materials science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Optoelectronics; Photovoltaic cells; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Radio frequency; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-018-1883-z

ZnO:B films with nominal thicknesses of 400 nm are deposited by magnetron sputtering at radio frequency (RF) powers ranging from 80 to 180 W. A link between the material and optoelectronic properties of ZnO:B films is demonstrated. The results show that the crystallinity increases with increasing RF power, resulting in high mobility of ZnO:B films. Quantification by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests that the boron content and oxygen deficiency increases with increasing RF power. Hall effect measurements also reveal that the carrier concentration and Hall mobility increase with increasing RF power, leading to lowering of the resistivity of ZnO:B films. The lowest resistivity that can be achieved for ZnO:B films deposited at 180 W is 4.46 × 10 −3  Ω cm.