Abstract
The electrical properties of TiO2 thin films deposited by chemical spray pyrolysis onto Si substrates were investigated in the metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) configuration using current–voltage characteristics and impedance spectroscopy. The electrical properties were analyzed in relation to the changes in microstructure induced during annealing in air up to a temperature of 950 °C. Anatase to rutile transformation started after annealing at 800 °C, and at 950 °C, only the rutile phase was present. The dielectric relaxation strongly depended upon the microstructure of TiO2 with the dielectric constant for the anatase phase between 45 and 50 and that for the rutile phase 123. Leakage current was reduced by three orders of magnitude after annealing at 700 °C due to the densification of the TiO2 film. A double-logarithmic plot of the current–voltage characteristics showed a linear relationship below 0.12 V consistent with Ohmic conduction, while space-charge-limited conduction mechanism as described by Child’s law dominated for bias voltages above 0.12 V.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
G.D. Wilk, R.M. Wallace, J.M. Anthony, J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5243 (2001)
B. Pedro, M. Rodrigo, P. Lui, F. Elvira, Transparent Oxide Electronics: From Materials to Devices (Wiley, Chichester, 2012)
M.C. Sekhar, P. Kondaiah, G.M. Rao, S.V.J. Chandra, S. Uthanna, Superlattices Microstruct. 62, 68 (2013)
R. Sing, R. Paily, A. DasGupta, N. DasGupta, P. Misra, L.M. Kukreja, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 20, 38 (2005)
W. Yang, J. Marino, A. Monson, C.A. Wolden, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 21, 1573 (2006)
L.H. Chong, K. Mallik, C.H. de Groot, R. Kersting, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 18, 645 (2006)
H. Xue, W. Chen, C. Liu, X. Kong, P. Qu, Z. Liu, J. Zhou, L. Shen, Z. Zhong, S. Ruan, in Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems Sanya, China 108 (2008)
J.C. Tinoco, M. Estrada, B. In˜iguez, A. Cerdeira, Microelectron. Reliab. 48, 370 (2008)
P. Walke, R. Bouregba, A. Lefevre, G. Parat, F. Lallemand, F. Voiron, B. Mercey, U. Lüders, J. Appl. Phys. 115, 094103 (2014)
M.-K. Lee, J.-J. Huang, T.-S. Wu, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 20, 519 (2005)
S. Chakraborty, M.K. Bera, S. Bhattacharya, C.K. Maiti, Current conduction mechanism in TiO2 gate dielectrics. Microelectron. Eng. 81, 188 (2005)
S. Aksoy, Y. Caglar, J. Alloys Compd. 613, 330 (2014)
A. Bengi, U. Aydemir, S. Altındal, Y. Ozen, S. Ozcelik, J. Alloys Compd. 505, 628 (2010)
D. Mardare, G.I. Rusu, J. Non Cryst. Solids 356, 1395 (2010)
S. Kim, H.Y. Jeong, S.-Y. Choi, Y.-K. Choi, Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 033508 (2010)
L.-E. Yu, S. Kim, M.-K. Ryu, S.-Y. Choi, Y.-K. Choi, IEEE 29, 331 (2008)
P.H. Wöbkenberg, T. Ishwara, J. Nelson, D.D.C. Bradley, S.A. Haque, T.D. Anthopoulos, Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 082116 (2010)
J.B. Naceur, M. Gaidi, F. Bousbih, R. Mechiakh, R. Chtourou, Curr. Appl. Phys. 12, 422 (2012)
M. Es-Souni, I. Oja, M. Krunks, J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 15, 341 (2004)
N.R. Mathews, E.R. Morales, M.A. Corte´s-Jacome, J.A.T. Antonio, Sol. Energy 83, 1499 (2009)
C.H. Chen, E.M. Kelder, J. Schoonman, Thin Solid Films 342, 35 (1999)
K. Otto, A. Katerski, A. Mere, O. Volobujeva, M. Krunks, Thin Solid Films 519, 3055 (2011)
A. O. Juma, I. Oja Acik, V. Mikli, A. Mere, M. Krunks, in Thin Solid Films (2015) in press
A. Oja, M. Mere, C.-H. Krunks, M. Solterbeck, Es-Souni. Solid State Phenom. 99–100, 259 (2004)
Y. Cui, J. Sun, Z. Hu, W. Yu, N. Xu, N. Xu, Z. Ying, J. Wu, Surf. Coat. Technol. 231, 180 (2013)
N. Martin, C. Rousselot, D. Rondot, F. Palmino, R. Mercier, Thin Solid Films 300, 113 (1997)
E. Barsoukov, J.R. McDonald, Impedance Spectroscopy, Theory: Experiments and Applications (Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2005)
J.Y. Kim, H.S. Jung, J.H. No, J.-R. Kim, K.S. Hong, J. Electroceramics 16, 447 (2006)
G.A. Kontos, A.L. Soulintzis, P.K. Karahaliou, G.C. Psarras, S.N. Georga, C.A. Krontiras, M.N. Pisanias, Express Polym. Lett. 1, 781 (2007)
K. Vydianathan, G. Nuesca, G. Peterson, E.T. Eisenbraun, A.E. Kaloyeros, J.J. Sullivan, B. Han, J. Mater. Res. 16, 1838 (2001)
R.A. Parker, J.S. Wasilik, Phys. Rev. 120, 1631 (1960)
J.K. Jonscher, J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 32, R57 (1999)
K. Funke, R.D. Banhatti, Solid State Sci. 10, 790–803 (2008)
A.A.A. Youssef, Z. Naturforsch. 57a, 263–269 (2002)
C. Cramer, K. Funke, T. Saatkamp, D. Wilmer, M.D. Ingram, Z. Naturforsch. 50a, 613–623 (1995)
S.C. Sun, T.F. Chen, IEDM '94. Technical Digest: International Electron Devices Meeting, 1994 (IEEE, San Francisco, CA, 1994), pp. 333–336
F.-C. Chiu, Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng. 2014, ID 578168 (2014)
F.-C. Chiu, H.-W. Chou, J.Y.-M. Lee, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 103503 (2005)
M.A. Lampert, P. Mark, Current Injection in Solids (Academic press, NY, 1970)
Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research under target financing project IUT19-4, TUT base Financing Project B24 and by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund Projects: TK114 “Mesosystems: Theory and Applications” (3.2.0101.11-0029). Senior Researcher V. Mikli is appreciated for the SEM measurements.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Juma, A., Acik, I.O., Mere, A. et al. Dielectric relaxation and conduction mechanisms in sprayed TiO2 thin films as a function of the annealing temperature. Appl. Phys. A 122, 359 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-9874-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-016-9874-4