p-Type Sb-Doped ZnO Thin Films Prepared with Filtered Vacuum Arc Deposition

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of p-type Sb-doped ZnO thin films using filtered vacuum arc deposition, with detailed characterization confirming their structural, electrical, and optical properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel FVAD method for producing p-type Sb-doped ZnO films and provides comprehensive analysis of their properties.

Findings

Sb doping achieved at ~1.5% concentration

Films exhibit resistivity of 0.15-0.3 Ohm*m

Energy gap around 3.39 eV

Abstract

Thin p-type Sb-doped ZnO films were grown by filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD), on untreated glass samples. The arc cathode was prepared by dissolving Sb into molten Zn. The deposition was performed with 200 A arc current, running for 120-240 s in 0.426 Pa oxygen pressure. The film thickness was 330-500 nm. The aotmic concentration of Sb in the films was ~1.5%, whereas the O/Zn atomic concentration ratio was ~0.7. Sb incorporation into the polycrystalline ZnO matrix was concluded from XRD analysis. The film resistivity (0.15-0.3 Ohm*m), carrier density (~10^22 m^(-3)), and carrier type, were determined by Hall effect measurements. The carrier mobility in the p-type films was in the range (10-20)*10^(-4) m^2/V*s. The energy gap of doped films, determined from optical tranmittance measurements, was approximately 3.39 eV.