Preparation of zinc tin oxide films by reactive magnetron sputtering of Zn on liquid Sn

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 518; no. 23; pp. 6752 - 6755
• Main Authors: Pau, J.L., Scheffler, L., Hernández, M.J., Cervera, M., Piqueras, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30.09.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Annealing; Carrier density; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Conductive oxides; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Cut-off; Deposition by sputtering; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Liquids; Magnetron sputtering; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Reactive sputtering; Surface and interface electron states; Thin films; Tin; Zinc; Zinc oxide; Zinc tin oxide; Zinc oxide; Reactive sputtering; Zinc tin oxide; Conductive oxides; Electronic properties; RBS; Transparency; Electrical properties; Visible spectra; Polycrystals; XRD; Spectral line shift; Heat treatments; Tin base alloys; Thin films; Cathode sputtering; Energy gap; Zinc Stannates; Tin oxide; Physical vapor deposition; Sputter deposition; Thermal annealing; Carrier density; Transparent material
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2010.06.006

Zn is sputter-deposited on melted Sn films by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering in oxidizing plasma. The samples present an absorption cut-off wavelength close to the one of ZnO, and an optical transparency higher than 50% in the visible range. Ex-situ thermal annealing improves visible transparency and produces a slight blue-shift in the optical bandgap. X-ray diffraction patterns show typical spectra due to polycrystalline ZnO with evidence of the presence of crystalline SnO, before annealing, and Zn 2SnO 4, after annealing. Rutherford Backscattering studies reveal the existence of a ZnO layer on top of an O-rich (Zn, Sn)O thin film. After optimal thermal treatment, electrical characterization exhibits carrier concentrations of 10 16–10 17 cm − 3 and mobilities of 20–80 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 for the resulting (Zn, Sn)O n-type films.