On the interplay of point defects and Cd in non-polar ZnCdO films

Journal Article · Mon Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4775396· OSTI ID:22102206

Zubiaga, A.; Reurings, F.; Tuomisto, F. ^[1]; Plazaola, F. ^[2]; Garcia, J. A. ^[3]; Kuznetsov, A. Yu. ^[4]; Egger, W. ^[5]; Zuniga-Perez, J. ^[6]; Munoz-Sanjose, V. ^[7]

---

1. Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11100, 00076 Aalto, Espoo (Finland)
2. Elektrizitatea eta Elektronika/Fisika Aplikatua II Sailak, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Posta Kutxatila 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain)
3. Fisika Aplikatua II Saila, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Posta Kutxatila 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain)
4. Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo (Norway)
5. Inst. fuer Angewandte Physik und Messtechnik, Univ. der Bundeswehr Muenchen, 87755 Neubiberg (Germany)
6. CRHEA CNRS, F-06560 Valbonne (France)
7. Dept. de Fisica Aplicada i Electromagnetisme, c/ Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain)

Non-polar ZnCdO films, grown over m- and r-sapphire with a Cd concentration ranging between 0.8% and 5%, have been studied by means of slow positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with chemical depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford back-scattering. Vacancy clusters and Zn vacancies with concentrations up to 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}, respectively, have been measured inside the films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy results show that most Cd stays inside the ZnCdO film but the diffused atoms can penetrate up to 1.3 {mu}m inside the ZnO buffer. PAS results give an insight to the structure of the meta-stable ZnCdO above the thermodynamical solubility limit of 2%. A correlation between the concentration of vacancy clusters and Cd has been measured. The concentration of Zn vacancies is one order of magnitude larger than in as-grown non-polar ZnO films and the vacancy cluster are, at least partly, created by the aggregation of smaller Zn vacancy related defects. The Zn vacancy related defects and the vacancy clusters accumulate around the Cd atoms as a way to release the strain induced by the substitutional Cd{sub Zn} in the ZnO crystal.

• OSTI ID: 22102206
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AGGLOMERATION
AMINO ACIDS
ANNIHILATION
BACKSCATTERING
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CORRELATIONS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
MASS SPECTRA
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POSITRONS
RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
THIN FILMS
VACANCIES
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES