Abstract
We investigated the Sb-doping effects on ZnO thin film using RF (radio frequency) magnetron sputtering and RTA (rapid thermal annealing). The structural and electrical properties of the thin films were measured by X-ray diffraction, SEM (scanning electron microscope), and Hall effect measurement. Thin films were deposited at a high temperature of 800°C in order to improve the crystal quality and were annealed for a short time of only 3 min. The structural properties of undoped and Sb-doped films were considerably improved by increasing oxygen content in the Ar-O2 gas mixture. Sb-doping also significantly decreased the electron concentration, making the films p-type. However, the crystallinity and surface roughness of the films degraded and the mobility decreased while increasing Sb-doping content, likely as a result of the formation of smaller grain size. From this study, we observed the transition to the p-type behavior at 1.5 at.% of Sb. The thin film deposited with this doping level showed a hole concentration of 4.412 × 1017 cm−3 and thus is considered applicable to p-type ZnO thin film.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D.C. Look, Recent advances in ZnO materials and devices. Mater. Sci. Eng. B80, 381 (2001)
S.J. Pearton, D.P. Norton, K. Ip, Y.W. Heo, T. Steiner, Recent progress in processing and properties of ZnO. Prog. Mat. Sci. 50, 293 (2005)
U. Ozgür, Y.I. Alivov, C. Liu, A. Teke, M.A. Reshchikov, S. Doğan, V. Avrutin, S.J. Cho, H. Morkςo, A comprehensive review of ZnO materials and devices. J. Appl. Phys. 98, 041301 (2005)
G. Mandel, Self-compensation limited conductivity in binary semiconductors. Phys. Rev. A. 134, 1037 (1964)
C.G. van deWalle, Hydrogen as a cause of doping in Zinc Oxide. Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1012 (2000)
C.G. van deWalle, D.B. Laks, C.F. Neumark, S.T. Pantelides, 1st-principles calculations of solubility and doping limits—Li, Na, and N in ZnSe. Phys. Rev. B. 47, 9425 (1993)
D.C. Look, R.L. Jones, J.R. Sizelove, N.Y. Garces, N.C. Giles, L.E. Halliburton, The path to ZnO devices: donor and acceptor dynamics. Phys. Status Solidi A 195, 171 (2004)
K. Minegishi, Y. Koiwai, K. Kikuchi, Growth of p-type Zinc Oxide films by chemical vapor deposition. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 36, L1453 (1997)
D.C. Look, D.C. Reynolds, C.W. Litton, R.L. Jones, D.B. Eason, G. Cantwell, Characterization of homoepitaxial p-type ZnO grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1830 (2002)
K.K. Kim, H.S. Kim, D.K. Hwang, J.H. Lim, S.J. Park, Realization of p-type ZnO thin films via phosphorus doping and thermal activation of the dopant. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 63 (2003)
Z.Q. Chen, A. Kawasuso, Y. Xu, H. Naramoto, X.L. Yuan, T. Sekiguchi, R. Suzuki, T. Ohdaira, Production and recovery of defects in phosphorus-implanted ZnO. J. Appl. Phys. 97, 013528 (2005)
Y.R. Ryu, S. Zhu, D.C. Look, J.M. Wrobel, H.M. Jeong, H.W. White, Synthesis of p-type ZnO films. J. Cryst. Growth 216, 330 (2000)
S. Limpijumnong, S.B. Zhang, S.H. Wei, C.H. Park, Doping by large-size-mismatched impurities: The microscopic origin of arsenic- or antimony-doped p-type zinc oxide. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 155504 (2004)
B.D. Cullity, Elements of x-ray diffraction, p. 102 (1978)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, D.H., Cho, N.G., Kim, K.S. et al. Structural and electrical properties of Sb-doped p-type ZnO thin films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. J Electroceram 22, 82–86 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-007-9393-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-007-9393-y