Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Improvement of the thermal and chemical stability of Al doped ZnO films

  • 1. Informatics: Dielectrics, Ferroelectrics, and Piezoelectrics
  • Published:
Journal of Electroceramics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To improve the stability of sputter-deposited ZnO:Al (AZO) films at high temperature above 300∘C, an amorphous Zn-Sn-O (ZTO) film was deposited on the top of AZO films as an protective layer by co-sputtering of pure ZnO and SnO2 targets. Amorphous ZTO films had resistivity in the range from 10−2 to 10−3 Ωcm and were stable up to temperature of 400∘C. Heat treatments of bare AZO films in the atmosphere at 400∘C resulted in a dramatic increase in the resistivity accompanied by substantial decrease in carrier concentration and Hall mobility. The AZO films covered with the ZTO film showed remarkable improvement in thermal stability for subsequent heat treatments in the temperature range from 200 to 400∘C in the atmosphere as well as chemical stability in weak acidic solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the improvement was attained by ZTO layer acting as diffusion barrier of oxygens and/or water vapors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D.S. Ginley and C. Bright, MRS Bull., 25(8), 15 (2000).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. K. Ellmer, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 34, 3097 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. T. Minami, MRS Bull., 25(8), 38 (2000).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. T. Minami, H. Nanto, S. SHooji, and S. Takata, Thin Solid Films, 111, 167 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. A. Valentini, F. Quaranta, M. Penza, and F.R. Rizzi, J. Appl. Phys., 73(3), 1143 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. T. Minami, H. Sonohara, S. Takata, and H. Sato, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 33, L1693 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. T. Minami, S. Takata, H. Sato, and H. Sonohara, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 13(3), 1095 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. T. Moriga, Y. Hayashi, K. Kondo, Y. Nishimura, K. Murai, and I. Nakabayashi, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 22(4), 1705 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Y. Hayashi, K. Kondo, K. Murai, T. Moriga, I. Nakabayashi, H. Fukumoto, and K. Tominaga, Vacuum, 74, 607 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. K. Tominaga, N. Umezu, I. Mori, T. Ushiro, T. Moriga, and I. Nakabayashi, Thin Solid Films, 334, 35 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. R.G. Gordon, MRS Bull., 25(8), 52 (2000).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. S. Ghosh, A. Sarkar, S. Chaudhuri, and A.K. Pal, Thin Solid Films, 205, 64 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. M.K. Puchert, P.Y. Timbrell, and R.N. Lamb, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 14(4), 2220 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. H. Geistlinger, J. Appl. Phys., 80(3), 1370 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1, Hawolgok-dong, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-791, Korea

    I. H. Kim, D. Y. Ku, K. S. Lee, J.-h. Jeong, T. S. Lee, B. Cheong, Y.-J. Baik & W. M. Kim

  2. Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Anam-Dong 5-1, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-701, Korea

    J. H. Ko & D. Kim

Authors
  1. I. H. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Y. Ku
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. H. Ko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. D. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. S. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J.-h. Jeong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. T. S. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. B. Cheong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Y.-J. Baik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. W. M. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. H. Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, I.H., Ku, D.Y., Ko, J.H. et al. Improvement of the thermal and chemical stability of Al doped ZnO films. J Electroceram 17, 241–245 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-006-8315-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-006-8315-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation