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Abstract:
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Structural, electronic, and optical properties of amorphous and transparent zinc tin oxide films
deposited on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) were examined for two chemical
compositions of Zn:Sn=1:1 and 2:1 as a function of oxygen partial pressure PO2 used for the film
deposition and annealing temperature. Different from a previous report on sputter-deposited films
Chiang et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 013503 2005 , the PLD-deposited films crystallized at a lower
temperature 450 °C to give crystalline ZnO and SnO2 phases. The optical band gaps Tauc gaps
were 2.80−2.85 eV and almost independent of oxygen PO2
, which are smaller than those of the
corresponding crystals 3.35−3.89 eV . Films deposited at low PO2
showed significant subgap
absorptions, which were reduced by postthermal annealing. Hall mobility showed steep increases
when carrier concentration exceeded threshold values and the threshold value depended on the film
chemical composition. The films deposited at low PO2
2 Pa had low carrier concentrations. It is
thought that the low PO2
produced high-density oxygen deficiencies and generated electrons, but
these electrons were trapped in localized states, which would be observed as the subgap absorptions.
Similar effects were observed for 600 °C crystallized films and their resistivities were increased by
formation of subgap states due to the reducing high-temperature condition. High carrier
concentrations and large mobilities were obtained in an intermediate PO2
region for the as-deposited films. |