Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the structural and local atomic properties of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films
Abstract
We have investigated the structural and local atomic properties of Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs) embedded ZnO (ZnO: Ge) thin films. The films were deposited by sequential sputtering of ZnO and Ge thin film layers on z-cut quartz substrates followed by an ex-situ rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 600 °C for 30, 60, and 90 s under forming gas atmosphere. Effects of RTA time on the evolution of Ge-ncs were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES), and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). XRD patterns have clearly shown that fcc diamond phase Ge-ncs of sizes ranging between 18 and 27 nm are formed upon RTA and no Ge-oxide peak has been detected. However, cross-section SEM images have clearly revealed that after RTA process, Ge layers form varying size nanoclusters composed of Ge-ncs regions. EXAFS performed at the Ge K-edge to probe the local atomic structure of the Ge-ncs has revealed that as prepared ZnO:Ge possesses Ge-oxide but subsequent RTA leads to crystalline Ge structure without the oxide layer. In order to study the occupied electronic structure, HAXPES has been utilized. Here, the peak separation between the Zn 2p and Ge 3d shows no significantmore »
- Authors:
-
- Hacettepe Univ., Ankara (Turkey)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Bilkent Univ., Ankara (Turkey)
- National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1229041
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1228236
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-111116-2015-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979; JAPIAU
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704; AC02-98CH10886
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Applied Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; X-ray diffraction; Electronic bandstructure; Nanocrystals; Atomic properties; Semiconductor device fabrication; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Nanoclusters; Thin films; Extended X-ray absorption fine structure
Citation Formats
Ceylan, Abdullah, Rumaiz, Abdul K., Caliskan, Deniz, Ozcan, Sadan, Ozbay, Ekmel, and Woicik, J. C. Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the structural and local atomic properties of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4914522.
Ceylan, Abdullah, Rumaiz, Abdul K., Caliskan, Deniz, Ozcan, Sadan, Ozbay, Ekmel, & Woicik, J. C. Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the structural and local atomic properties of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914522
Ceylan, Abdullah, Rumaiz, Abdul K., Caliskan, Deniz, Ozcan, Sadan, Ozbay, Ekmel, and Woicik, J. C. Tue .
"Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the structural and local atomic properties of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914522. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1229041.
@article{osti_1229041,
title = {Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the structural and local atomic properties of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films},
author = {Ceylan, Abdullah and Rumaiz, Abdul K. and Caliskan, Deniz and Ozcan, Sadan and Ozbay, Ekmel and Woicik, J. C.},
abstractNote = {We have investigated the structural and local atomic properties of Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs) embedded ZnO (ZnO: Ge) thin films. The films were deposited by sequential sputtering of ZnO and Ge thin film layers on z-cut quartz substrates followed by an ex-situ rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 600 °C for 30, 60, and 90 s under forming gas atmosphere. Effects of RTA time on the evolution of Ge-ncs were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES), and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). XRD patterns have clearly shown that fcc diamond phase Ge-ncs of sizes ranging between 18 and 27 nm are formed upon RTA and no Ge-oxide peak has been detected. However, cross-section SEM images have clearly revealed that after RTA process, Ge layers form varying size nanoclusters composed of Ge-ncs regions. EXAFS performed at the Ge K-edge to probe the local atomic structure of the Ge-ncs has revealed that as prepared ZnO:Ge possesses Ge-oxide but subsequent RTA leads to crystalline Ge structure without the oxide layer. In order to study the occupied electronic structure, HAXPES has been utilized. Here, the peak separation between the Zn 2p and Ge 3d shows no significant change due to RTA. This implies little change in the valence band offset due to RTA.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4914522},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 10,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Mar 10 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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