High-Energy Oxygen Atoms in ZnO Film Preparation by Reactive Sputtering of Zn

Abstract

Using Zn metal disk target, ZnO films were prepared in Ar+O2 mixed gas by both DC planar magnetron sputtering and RF diode sputtering. The dependence of c-axis orientation of ZnO film on O2 partial pressure was examined from the view point of the bombardment of film by energetic oxygen atoms. For DC planar magnetron sputtering, the c-axis orientation of film does not depend on the O2 partial pressure, but for RF diode sputtering, the c-axis orientation becomes high at r=10–20%, where r is the percent ratio of O2 partial pressure to total pressure. It is found that there exists a correlation between the dependence of c-axis orientation on O2 partial pressure and the film bombardment by energetic O atoms.