Characterization of ZnO, Ga-Doped ZnO, and Nd-Ga-Doped ZnO Thin Films Synthesized by Radiofrequency Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Here is described the influence of deposition parameters of ZnO thin films doped with Ga and co-doped with (Ga + Nd) upon the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties. The transparent conductive thin films were fabricated by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using a power of 100 W and a deposition distance of 6 cm. The deposition was performed on glass substrates heated at 150 °C with a time deposition of 90 min. The influence of doping upon the structure of thin films was analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Optical transmission measurements showed an 85% transparency in the visible range for the undoped ZnO films and the transparency of these films decreased when the dopants were added. Micro-structural analysis obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) evidenced that the type of doping modify the microstructure of thin films. Raman and resistivity measurements emphasize the successful incorporation of dopants into the ZnO host material.