The effect of sub-oxide phases on the transparency of tin-doped gallium oxide

Journal Article · Mon Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964638· OSTI ID:1340285

Lim, K.; Schelhas, L. T.; Siah, S. C.; Brandt, R. E.; Zakutayev, A.; Lany, S. ; Gorman, B.; Sun, C. J.; Ginley, D.; Buonassisi, T.; Toney, M. F.

There have been a number of studies on the fabrication of Sn-doped gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃:Sn) films with both conductive and transparent properties using a variety of deposition methods. However, often, synthesis results in films that are not transparent. In this paper, we examine the mechanisms underlying these results in Ga₂O₃:Sn thin films prepared at various growth temperatures, Sn concentrations, and oxygen partial pressures. With X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, we find that when films are grown under the oxygen deficient conditions there are Ga sub-oxide and SnOx phases in the Ga₂O₃:Sn thin film. These Ga sub-oxide phases are only found in non-transparent films, and so we infer that the Ga sub-oxide is responsible for the non-transparency. These observations suggest that to obtain transparent Ga₂O₃:Sn, films deposition or subsequent annealing must be carefully controlled in both temperature and oxygen partial pressure to avoid the formation of Ga sub-oxide phases.

• Research Organization: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Next Generation of Materials by Design: Incorporating Metastability (CNGMD); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1340285
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 109, Issue 14; ISSN 0003-6951
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE