Optimized deposition and characterization of nanocrystalline magnesium indium oxide thin films for opto-electronic applications

Journal Article · Wed May 06 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.materresbull.2008.10.020· OSTI ID:21199763

Raj, A Moses Ezhil ^[1]; Ravidhas, C ^[2]; Ravishankar, R; Kumar, A Rathish ^[3]; Selvan, G ^[4]; Jayachandran, M ^[3]

---

1. Departments of Physics, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil 629 003 (India)
2. Department of Physics, Bishop Heber College (Autonomous), Tiruchirapalli 620 017 (India)
3. Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi 630 006 (India)
4. Department of Physics, Thanthai Hans Roever College, Perambalur 621 212 (India)

Transparent conducting magnesium indium oxide films (MgIn{sub 2}O{sub 4}) were deposited on to quartz substrates without a buffer layer at an optimized deposition temperature of 450 deg. C to achieve high transmittance in the visible spectral range and electrical conductivity in the low temperature region. Magnesium ions are distributed over the tetrahedral and octahedral sites of the inverted spinel structure with preferential orientation along (3 1 1) Miller plane. The possible mechanism that promotes conductivity in this system is the charge transfer between the resident divalent (Mg{sup 2+}) and trivalent (In{sup 3+}) cations in addition to the available oxygen vacancies in the lattice. A room temperature electrical conductivity of 1.5 x 10{sup -5} S cm{sup -1} and an average transmittance >75% have been achieved. Hall measurements showed n-type conductivity with electron mobility value 0.95 x 10{sup -2} cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} and carrier concentration 2.7 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. Smoothness of the film surface observed through atomic force microscope measurements favors this material for gas sensing and opto-electronic device development.

• OSTI ID: 21199763
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 44, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2008.10.020; PII: S0025-5408(08)00376-0; Copyright (c) 2008 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
CATIONS
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRON MOBILITY
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
INDIUM IONS
INDIUM OXIDES
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM IONS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
NANOSTRUCTURES
OXYGEN
SPINELS
SYNTHESIS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THIN FILMS
VACANCIES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION