"

Cookies ussage consent

Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our site without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.

I agree, do not show this message again.

Surface topography and optical properties of nitrogen doped ZnO thin films formed by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on fused silica substrates

M. NICOLESCU1, M. ANASTASESCU1, S. PREDA1, J.M. CALDERON-MORENO1, H. STROESCU1, M. GARTNER1,* , V. S. TEODORESCU2, A.V. MARALOIU2, V. KAMPYLAFKA3, E. APERATHITIS3, M. MODREANU4

Affiliation

  1. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy, Spl. Independentei 202, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
  2. National Institute of Material Physics, 105 bis Atomistilor Street, 077125 Bucharest – Mǎgurele, Romania
  3. FORTH-IESL, Crete, Greece
  4. Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

Abstract

We report here on the nitrogen doped ZnO (ZnO:N) thin films deposited by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering using ZnN target (99.9% purity) on, unintentionally heated, fused silica substrates. After deposition Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) at 400 and 550o C for 1min in N2 ambient have been performed on the ZnO:N thin films. The RTA impact on the optical and microstructural properties of ZnO:N thin films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis, UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry and UV-VIS-NIR-Far IR Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. XRD and AFM results revealed an improvement in the crystalline state of ZnO:N and a reduction in the films surface roughness following RTA. The EDX spectrum showed the presence of the nitrogen in small quantities in the ZnO structure (nitrogen/oxygen=1/8). The optical constants of ZnO:N from UV down to Far IR spectral range together with the infrared active modes for ZnO:N are also reported..

Keywords

N doped ZnO, Magnetron sputtering, Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis, UV-VIS-NIR and IR ellipsometry.

Submitted at: June 8, 2010
Accepted at: June 16, 2010

Citation

M. NICOLESCU, M. ANASTASESCU, S. PREDA, J.M. CALDERON-MORENO, H. STROESCU, M. GARTNER, V. S. TEODORESCU, A.V. MARALOIU, V. KAMPYLAFKA, E. APERATHITIS, M. MODREANU, Surface topography and optical properties of nitrogen doped ZnO thin films formed by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on fused silica substrates, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 12, Iss. 6, pp. 1343-1349 (2010)