Nitrogen-incorporation induced changes in the microstructure of nanocrystalline WO3 thin films

Journal Article · Fri Dec 30 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Thin Solid Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2011.08.080· OSTI ID:1031432

Noor-A-Alam, M; Gullapalli, Satya K; Engelhard, Mark H; Ramana, C V

Nitrogen doped tungsten oxide (WO3) films were grown by reactive magnetron sputter-deposition by varying the nitrogen content in the reactive gas mixture keeping the deposition temperature fixed at 400 C. The crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, and electrical resistivity of nitrogen doped WO3 films were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrical conductivity measurements. The results indicate that the nitrogen-doping induced changes in the microstructure and electrical properties of WO3 films are significant. XRD measurements coupled with SEM analysis indicates that the increasing nitrogen content decreases the grain size and crystal quality. The nitrogen concentration increases from 0 at.% to 1.35 at.% with increasing nitrogen flow rate from 0 to 20 sccm. The corresponding dc electrical conductivity of the films had shown a decreasing trend with increasing nitrogen content.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1031432
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-79446; THSFAP; 42795; KP1704020; TRN: US201201%%607
• Journal Information: Thin Solid Films, Vol. 520, Issue 5; ISSN 0040-6090
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FLOW RATE
GRAIN SIZE
MAGNETRONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MIXTURES
MORPHOLOGY
NITROGEN
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
THIN FILMS
TUNGSTEN OXIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
Nitrogen
doping
changes
microstructure
nanocrystalline
WO3
thin
films
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory