Limits of carrier mobility in Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} conducting films deposited by reactive sputtering
- Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland)
- Photovoltaics and Thin Film Electronics Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Microengineering (IMT), Rue de la Maladière 71b, 2002 Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
Electron transport in Sb-doped SnO{sub 2} (ATO) films is studied to unveil the limited carrier mobility observed in sputtered films as compared to other deposition methods. Transparent and conductive ATO layers are deposited from metallic tin targets alloyed with antimony in oxygen atmosphere optimized for reactive sputtering. The carrier mobility decreases from 24 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} to 6 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} when increasing the doping level from 0 to 7 at. %, and the lowest resistivity of 1.8 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm corresponding to the mobility of 12 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} which is obtained for the 3 at. % Sb-doped ATO. Temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements and near-infrared reflectance measurements reveal that the carrier mobility in sputtered ATO is limited by ingrain scattering. In contrast, the mobility of unintentionally doped SnO{sub 2} films is determined mostly by the grain boundary scattering. Both limitations should arise from the sputtering process itself, which suffers from the high-energy-ion bombardment and yields polycrystalline films with small grain size.
- OSTI ID:
- 22415301
- Journal Information:
- APL materials, Vol. 3, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2015 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2166-532X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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