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Title: Ultraviolet to far-infrared dielectric function of n -doped cadmium oxide thin films

Journal Article · · Physical Review Materials
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1];  [5];  [5]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States)
  2. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States). CDCC US Army Research Lab.
  3. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
  4. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies
  5. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

Spectroscopic ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were applied to extract the ultraviolet to far-infrared (150 – 33333 cm-1) complex dielectric functions of high-quality, sputtered indium-doped cadmium oxide (In:CdO) thin crystalline films on MgO substrates possessing carrier densities (Nd) ranging from 1.1 x 1019 cm-1 to 4.1 x 1020 cm-1. A multiple oscillator fit model was used to identify and analyze the three major contributors to the dielectric function and their dependence on doping density: interband transitions in the visible, free-carrier excitations (Drude response) in the near- to far-infrared, and IR-active optic phonons in the far-infrared. More specifically, values pertinent to the complex dielectric function such as the optical band gap (Eg), are shown here to be dependent upon carrier density, increasing from approximately 2.5–3 eV, while the high-frequency permittivity (ε) decreases from 5.6 to 5.1 with increasing carrier density. The plasma frequency (ωp) scales as $$\sqrt{N_d}$$, resulting in ωp values occurring within the mid- to near-IR, and the effective mass (m *) was also observed to exhibit doping density-dependent changes, reaching a minimum of 0.11 mo in unintentionally doped films (1.1 x 1019 cm-1). Good quantitative agreement with prior work on polycrystalline, higher-doped CdO films is also demonstrated, illustrating the generality of the results. The analysis presented here in this paper will aid in predictive calculations for CdO-based next-generation nanophotonic and optoelectronic devices, while also providing an underlying physical description of the key properties dictating the dielectric response in this atypical semiconductor system.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1770365
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1602354
Report Number(s):
SAND-2021-2471J; 694448; TRN: US2206821
Journal Information:
Physical Review Materials, Vol. 4, Issue 2; ISSN 2475-9953
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 30, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.3691832
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