Exploring and controlling intrinsic defect formation in SnO2 thin films
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
By investigating the influence of key growth variables on the measured structural and electrical properties of SnO2 prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) we demonstrate fine control of intrinsic n-type defect formation. Variation of growth temperatures shows oxygen vacancies (VO) as the dominant defect which can be compensated for by thermal oxidation at temperatures >500 °C. As a consequence films with carrier concentrations in the range 1016–1019 cm−3 can be prepared by adjusting temperature alone. By altering the background oxygen pressure (PD) we observe a change in the dominant defect – from tin interstitials (Sni) at low PD (<50 mTorr) to VO at higher PD with similar ranges of carrier concentrations observed. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of controlling the composition target surface used for PLD by exposing a target to >100 000 laser pulses. Here carrier concentrations >1 × 1020 cm−3 are observed that are associated with high concentrations of Sni which cannot be completely compensated for by modifying the growth parameters.
Date Issued
2015-12-15
Date Acceptance
2015-12-15
Citation
Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2015, 4, pp.758-765
ISSN
2050-7534
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Start Page
758
End Page
765
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Volume
4
Copyright Statement
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.
License URL
Sponsor
Kaust
Grant Number
N/A
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Physical Sciences
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
Materials Science
Physics
TRANSPARENT CONDUCTING OXIDES
INDIUM-TIN-OXIDE
WORK FUNCTION
ZINC-OXIDE
SURFACE-ROUGHNESS
LASER ABLATION
HYDROGEN
DEVICES
Publication Status
Published