Effects of oxygen gas pressure on structural, electrical, and thermoelectric properties of (ZnO){sub 3}In{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2937939· OSTI ID:21137340

Orikasa, Yuki; Hayashi, Naoaki; Muranaka, Shigetoshi ^[1]

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1. Department of Interdisciplinary Environment, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)

Zinc indium oxide films were deposited by the rf magnetron sputtering method using a (ZnO){sub 3}In{sub 2}O{sub 3} target. The films were prepared at 573 K in various Ar/O{sub 2} sputtering gases (O{sub 2} content: 0%-25%). The effect of the oxygen gas content in the sputtering gas on the structural, optical, electrical, and thermoelectric properties of the films was investigated. The films had a c-axis oriented layer structure. The films deposited at 0%-3% oxygen gas contents exhibited a high electrical conductivity with a high carrier concentration, n{approx_equal}10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}, while the conductivity of the films significantly decreased above the 3% oxygen gas content, having a carrier concentration below 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}. From the optical transmission measurement, the band gap of the films was estimated to be 3.01 eV. The films deposited at 3%-8% oxygen gas contents showed a high Seebeck coefficient, -300 {mu}V/K, while the maximum power factor, 4.78x10{sup -5} W/m K{sup 2}, was obtained at the 2% oxygen gas content. The Seebeck coefficient and the power factor were calculated on the basis of degenerate semiconductors. These results suggest that zinc indium oxide films have the possibility of being high performance thermoelectric materials.

• OSTI ID: 21137340
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 103, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2937939; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CARRIER DENSITY
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ENERGY GAP
INDIUM OXIDES
LAYERS
OXYGEN
PERFORMANCE
POWER FACTOR
SEEBECK EFFECT
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPUTTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS
THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES
THIN FILMS
ZINC OXIDES