Influence of Deposition Temperature on Properties of Multilayered Gallium Doped Zinc Oxide Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering Technique

Abstract

Multilayered transparent conducting films based on ZnO: Ga were deposited onto glass substrate by DC magnetron sputtering technique. The films were prepared from alloy (Zn: Ga) and ceramic (ZnO: Ga) targets with gallium composition of 3 at% and 4 at%, respectively. Crystal structure and phase analysis were measured using X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The XRD structural analysis results indicated that all multilayered films were polycrystalline with (002) orientation slightly shifted of diffracting angles due to gallium dopant concentrations as increase in the deposition temperatures. The films were hexagonal wurtzite structure, having preferred growth orientation in c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The cross section micrographs imaging and elemental composition of multi-layered ZnO: Ga films were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The films' surface morphology and grain size approximations were studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) operated in the tapping mode. Grain size approximations observed in atomic force microscopy scans were confirmed by Debye Scherrer's formula. Optical transmittance and electrical properties of multi-layered films were studied using the UV-VIS spectrophotometer and Ecopia HMS-3000 Hall Effect measurement equipment. Film deposited at substrate temperature of 270 °C showed the best desired results of structural, optical and electrical properties. The film has optical transmittance of over 91% and the lowest resistivity of 1.8  10^–4 Ω-cm corresponding to the highest carrier concentration of 4.8  10²¹ cm^-3 and Hall mobility of 7.5 cm² /Vs were obtained. The film’s band gaps of 3.6 eV and extinction coefficient of 0.43 were computed empirically, while refractive index of 1.75 was calculated by Swanepoel’s envelope method from the transmittance spectra. The increase of the films optical band gap arises from among other factors Ga doping concentration and increase of deposition temperatures.

Keywords: ZnO: Ga; DC Magnetron Sputtering; Swanepoel’s Envelope Method; Thin Films