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Title: A comparative study of electronic and structural properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetron-sputtered ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al Films—Origin of the grain barrier traps

Abstract

Homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial ZnO, ZnO:Al, and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al films have been grown by magnetron sputtering from ceramic targets at substrate temperatures between 200 °C and 500 °C. We studied the relation between the electronic transport and structural properties for the epitaxially grown films and compared it to the properties of polycrystalline films by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. The results show that the epitaxial growth of ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al thin films, which has been observed for nearly all films prepared on single crystalline substrates, will not significantly improve the electronic transport properties in comparison to polycrystalline films unless the grain boundaries are eliminated completely. The grain boundary defect densities of about 3 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} are nearly independent on the structural quality of the different polycrystalline, hetero- and homoepitaxial films. This clearly proves that the grain boundary defects are not caused by crystallographic defects, but, most probably, by the dopant aluminium.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, Institute for Solar Fuels, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, D-14109 Berlin (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22218236
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Applied Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 114; Journal Issue: 6; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; ALUMINIUM; EPITAXY; GRAIN BOUNDARIES; MAGNETRONS; POLYCRYSTALS; SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS; SPUTTERING; SUBSTRATES; THIN FILMS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; X-RAY DIFFRACTION; ZINC OXIDES

Citation Formats

Bikowski, André, and Ellmer, Klaus. A comparative study of electronic and structural properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetron-sputtered ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al Films—Origin of the grain barrier traps. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4817376.
Bikowski, André, & Ellmer, Klaus. A comparative study of electronic and structural properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetron-sputtered ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al Films—Origin of the grain barrier traps. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817376
Bikowski, André, and Ellmer, Klaus. 2013. "A comparative study of electronic and structural properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetron-sputtered ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al Films—Origin of the grain barrier traps". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817376.
@article{osti_22218236,
title = {A comparative study of electronic and structural properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial magnetron-sputtered ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al Films—Origin of the grain barrier traps},
author = {Bikowski, André and Ellmer, Klaus},
abstractNote = {Homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial ZnO, ZnO:Al, and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al films have been grown by magnetron sputtering from ceramic targets at substrate temperatures between 200 °C and 500 °C. We studied the relation between the electronic transport and structural properties for the epitaxially grown films and compared it to the properties of polycrystalline films by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. The results show that the epitaxial growth of ZnO:Al and Zn{sub 1-x}Mg{sub x}O:Al thin films, which has been observed for nearly all films prepared on single crystalline substrates, will not significantly improve the electronic transport properties in comparison to polycrystalline films unless the grain boundaries are eliminated completely. The grain boundary defect densities of about 3 × 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2} are nearly independent on the structural quality of the different polycrystalline, hetero- and homoepitaxial films. This clearly proves that the grain boundary defects are not caused by crystallographic defects, but, most probably, by the dopant aluminium.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4817376},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22218236}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
issn = {0021-8979},
number = 6,
volume = 114,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Wed Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}