Effect of inductively coupled plasma and plasma parameters on magnetron sputtered Al-Doped ZnO highly conductive thin films at low-temperature

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 2018-05, Vol.123 (20)
• Main Authors: Sahu, Bibhuti Bhusan, Jin, Su Bong, Xiang, Piao Jin, Kim, Jay Bum, Han, Jeon Geon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Carrier density; Carrier mobility; Electron density; Electron-hole interaction; Film growth; Inductively coupled plasma; Ionization; Low temperature; Magnetron sputtering; Organic chemistry; Parameters; Plasma; Plasma chemistry; Thin films; Wide bandgap semiconductors; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.5022708

This work reports a detailed study on the low-temperature synthesis of highly conductive transparent Al-doped ZnO films using magnetron sputtering with the support of an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. It is seen that the ICP source is quite useful to provide significant ionization and excitation reactions conducive to the film growth in the magnetron plasmas. The effect of different plasma parameters on the film properties is investigated in detail. Data reveal that tailoring of vacancies of oxygen and extrinsic dopants (Al0 and Al3+) and plasma chemistry in high electron density discharges could provide simultaneous enrichment in the carriers' mobility and concentration. A plausible mechanism involving the correlation between the carrier mobility and the electron-hole interaction is realized for degenerately doped wide bandgap semiconductors.