Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T13:30:06.395Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Study of High Quality Al-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown at Low Temperature by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Ram Gupta
Affiliation:
[email protected], Missouri State University, Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science, 901 South National Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65897, United States, 4178366298, 4178366226
K. Ghosh
Affiliation:
[email protected], Missouri State University, Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science, Springfield, MO, 65897, United States
S. R. Mishra
Affiliation:
[email protected], The University of Memphis, Department of Physics, Memphis, TN, 38152, United States
P. K. Kahol
Affiliation:
[email protected], Missouri State University, Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science, Springfield, MO, 65897, United States
Get access

Abstract

Highly conducting and transparent Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films, which are oriented along c-axis and have wurtzite structure, were grown on quartz substrate at low temperature by pulsed laser deposition. The techniques of x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical transmission spectroscopy (OTS), electrical resistivity, and Hall Effect were used to study the effect of growth temperature and oxygen pressure on the structural, electrical transport, and optical properties of these films. The optical transparency in all the films is high and does not change much with oxygen pressure and growth temperature. However, electrical parameters such as resistivity, carrier concentration, and mobility strongly depend on both oxygen pressure and growth temperature. The temperature dependence resistivity measurement indicates semiconducting behavior of all the films. A detailed study indicates that the films which are highly conducting and transparent correspond to an optimum temperature of 200 °C and an oxygen pressure of 5 × 10−7 bar. Higher transmittance of the AZO films compared with pure ZnO and ITO and comparable mobility make us to suggest that Al-doped ZnO is an excellent material for optoelectronic applications.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.1. Zhang, Y., Hu, Y., Li, H., Wang, L., Jing, X., Wang, F. and Ma, D., J. Mater. Chem. 13, 773 (2003).Google Scholar
2. Kim, H., Pique, A., Horwitz, J. S., Murata, H., Kafafi, Z. H., M, C.. Gilmore and Chrisey, D. B., Thin Solid Films 377–378, 798 (2000).10.1016/S0040-6090(00)01290-6Google Scholar
3. Newman, G., Phys. Status Solidi B 105, 605 (1981).10.1002/pssb.2221050220Google Scholar
4. Singh, A. V., Mehra, R. M., A. Yoshida and Wakahara, A., J. Appl. Phys. 95, 3640 (2004).Google Scholar
5. Hu, J. and Gordon, R. G., J. Appl. Phys. 71, 880 (1992).10.1063/1.351309Google Scholar
6. Minami, T., Oohashi, K., Takata, S., Mouri, T. and Ogawa, N., Thin Solid Films 193–194, 721 (1990).10.1016/0040-6090(90)90224-2Google Scholar
7. Goyal, D., Solanki, P., Maranthe, M., Takwale, M. and Bhide, V., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Part 1 31, 361 (1992).10.1143/JJAP.31.361Google Scholar
8. Hiramatsu, M., Imaeda, K., Horio, N. and Nawata, M., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 16, 669 (1998).10.1116/1.581085Google Scholar
9. Chrisey, B. D. and Hubler, G. K., Pulsed laser deposition of thin films (Wiley, New York, 1994).Google Scholar
10. Zhou, X. D. and Huebner, W., Appl. Phys. Lett. 79, 3512 (2001).Google Scholar
11. Zhang, Y., Du, G., Yang, X., Zhao, B., Ma, Y., Yang, T., Ong, H. C., Liu, D. and Yang, S., Semicond. Sci.Technol. 19, 755 (2004).10.1088/0268-1242/19/6/017Google Scholar