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Influence of iron doping on the structural, chemical, and optoelectronic properties of sputtered zinc oxide thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2016

Mohammad F. Al-Kuhaili ,
Sardar M.A. Durrani ,
Ayman S. El-Said  and
R. Heller
Mohammad F. Al-Kuhaili*
Affiliation:
Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Sardar M.A. Durrani
Affiliation:
Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Ayman S. El-Said
Affiliation:
Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
R. Heller
Affiliation:
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: kuhaili@kfupm.edu.sa
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Abstract

Iron (Fe)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited using two techniques: (i) radio-frequency (RF) sputtering of Fe-doped ZnO targets, and (ii) co-sputtering, where ZnO was RF-sputtered and iron was direct-current (DC)-sputtered. The as-deposited films were polycrystalline, with predominant growth along the (002) direction of hexagonal ZnO, and possessed a considerable concentration of oxygen vacancies. From an optoelectronic point of view, the films were highly transparent, with a band gap of 3.25 eV, and had electrical resistivity values in the range of 100–103 Ω cm. To improve the electrical conductivity of the films, they were annealed in a vacuum and in a hydrogen atmosphere. The annealing process did not affect the optical properties of the films. However, there were substantial structural and chemical changes in the films. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of the films was enhanced drastically upon annealing in hydrogen, where the electrical resistivity was reduced to 3.2 × 10−3 Ω cm.

Keywords

annealingdopantsputtering
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 31 , Issue 20 , 28 October 2016 , pp. 3230 - 3239
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Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

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References

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