The effect of sub-oxide phases on the transparency of tin-doped gallium oxide

Journal Article · Mon Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4964638· OSTI ID:1337584

Lim, K.; Schelhas, L. T.; Siah, S. C.; Brandt, R. E.; Zakutayev, A.; Lany, S. ; Gorman, B.; Sun, C. J.; Ginley, D.; Buonassisi, T.; Toney, M. F.

There have been a number of studies on the fabrication of Sn-doped gallium oxide (Ga2O3:Sn) films with both conductive and transparent properties using a variety of deposition methods. However, often, synthesis results in films that are not transparent. In this paper, we examine the mechanisms underlying these results in Ga2O3:Sn thin films prepared at various growth temperatures, Sn concentrations, and oxygen partial pressures. With X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, we find that when films are grown under the oxygen deficient conditions there are Ga sub-oxide and SnOx phases in the Ga2O3:Sn thin film. These Ga sub-oxide phases are only found in non-transparent films, and so we infer that the Ga sub-oxide is responsible for the non-transparency. These observations suggest that to obtain transparent Ga2O3:Sn, films deposition or subsequent annealing must be carefully controlled in both temperature and oxygen partial pressure to avoid the formation of Ga sub-oxide phases.

• Research Organization: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Next Generation of Materials by Design: Incorporating Metastability (CNGMD); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357; AC02-76SF00515; AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1337584
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1328233; OSTI ID: 1329641; OSTI ID: 1331242
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-16851; NREL/JA-5K00-67389
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Vol. 109 Journal Issue: 14; ISSN 0003-6951
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
x-ray absorption near edge structure
extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy
transmission electron microscopy
thin film growth
x-ray absorption spectroscopy
14 SOLAR ENERGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS