Pulsed laser deposition of tantalum pentoxide film

We report thin tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅) films grown on quartz and silicon substrates by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique employing a Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 5=532 nm) in various O₂ gas environments. The effect of oxygen pressure, substrate temperature, and annealing under UV irradiation using a 172-nm excimer lamp on the properties of the grown films has been studied. The optical properties determined by UV spectrophotometry were also found to be a sensitive function of oxygen pressure in the chamber. At an O₂ pressure of 0.2 mbar and deposition temperatures between 400 and 500 °C, the refractive index of the films was around 2.18 which is very close to the bulk Ta₂O₅ value of 2.2, and an optical transmittance around 90% in the visible region of the spectrum was obtained. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the as-deposited films were amorphous at temperatures below 500 °C and possessed an orthorhombic (#-Ta₂O₅) crystal structure at temperatures above 600 °C. The most significant result of the present study was that oxygen pressure could be used to control the composition and modulate optical band gap of the films. It was also found that UV annealing can significantly improve the optical and electrical properties of the films deposited at low oxygen pressures (<0.1 mbar).     

A Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study of TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by dc Reactive Magnetron Sputtering： Annealing Temperature Effect

TiO2 thin films are obtained by dc reactive magnetron sputtering. A target of titanium （99.995%） and a mixture of argon and oxygen gases are used to deposit TiO2 films on to silicon wafers （100）. The crystalline structure of deposited and annealed film are deduced by variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry （VASE） and supported by x-ray diffractometry. The optical properties of the films are examined by VASE. Measurements of ellipsometry are performed in the spectral range O. 72-3.55 e V at incident angle 75^o. Several SE models, categorized by physical and optical models, are proposed based on the ＇simpler better＇ rule and curve-fits, which are generated and compared to the experimental data using the regression analysis. It has been found that the triple-layer physical model together with the Cody-Lorentz dispersion model offer the most convincing result. The as-deposited films are found to be inhomogeneous and amorphous, whereas the annealed films present the phase transition to anatase and rutile structures. The refractive index of TiO2 thin films increases with annealing temperature. A more detailed analysis further reveals that thickness of the top sub-layer increases, whereas the region of the bottom amorphous sub-layer shrinks when the films are annealed at 300℃.     

Effect of Annealing Temperature on Structural and Optical Properties of N-Doped ZnO Films

Nitrogen-doped ZnO （ZnO：N） films are prepared by thermal oxidation of sputtered Zn3N2 layers on A1203 substrates. The correlation between the structural and optical properties of ZnO：N films and annealing temperatures is investigated. X-ray diffraction result demonstrates that the as-sputtered Zn3N2 films are transformed into ZnO：N films after annealing above 600℃. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that nitrogen has two chemical states in the ZnO：N films： the No acceptor and the double donor （N2）o. Due to the No acceptor, the hole concentration in the film annealed at 700℃ is predicted to be highest, which is also confirmed by Hall effect measurement. In addition, the temperature dependent photoluminescence spectra allow to calculate the nitrogen acceptor binding energy.     

Measurement and Analysis of Composition and Depth Profile of H in Amorphous Si1-xCx:H Films

Composition in amorphous Si1-xCx：H heteroepitaxial thin films on Si （100） by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition （PECVD） is analysed. The unknown x （0.45-3.57） and the depth profile of hydrogen in the thin films are characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrum （RBS）, resonance-nuclear reaction analysis （R-NRA） and elastic recoil detection （ERD）, respectively. In addition, the depth profile of hydrogen in the unannealed thin films is compared to that of the annealed thin films with rapid thermal annealing （RTA） or laser spike annealing （LSA） in nitrogen atmosphere. The results indicate that the stoichiometric amorphous SiC can be produced by PECVD when the ratio of CH4/SiH4 is approximately equal to 25. The content of hydrogen decreases suddenly from 35% to 1% after 1150℃ annealing. RTA can reduce hydrogen in SiC films effectively than LSA.     

Optical Characterization of rf-Magnetron Sputtered Nanostructured SnO2 Thin Films

Tin oxide （Sn02 ） thin films are deposited by rf-magnetron sputtering and annealed at various temperatures in the range of 100-500 ℃ for 15 min. Raman spectra of the annealed films depict the formation of a small amount of SnO phase in the tetragonal Sn02 matrix, which is verified by x-ray diffraction. The average particle size is found to be about 20-30 nm, as calculated from x-ray peak broadening and SEM images. Various optical parameters such as optical band gap energy, refractive index, optical conductivity, carrier mobility, carrier concentration etc. are determined from the optical transmittance and reflectance data recorded in the wavelength range 250-2500 nm. The results are analyzed and compared with the data in the literature.     

Influence of annealing temperature on optical properties of zinc oxide thin films analyzed by spectroscopic ellipsometry method

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were sol–gel spin coated on glass substrates, annealed at various temperatures 300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C and characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry method. The optical properties of the films such as transmittance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric constant and optical band gap energy were determined from ellipsometric data recorded over the spectral range of 300–800 nm. The effect of annealing temperature in air on optical properties of the sol–gel derived ZnO thin films was studied. The transmission values of the annealed films were about 65% within the visible range. The optical band gap of the ZnO thin films were measured between 3.25 eV and 3.45 eV. Also the dispersion parameters such as single oscillator energy and dispersive energy were determined from the transmittance graph using the Wemple and DiDomenico model.     

Surface morphology of ZnO buffer layer and its effects on the growth of GaN films on Si substrates by magnetron sputtering

ZnO thin films were first prepared on Si(111) substrates using a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. Then the as-grown ZnO films were annealed in oxygen ambient at temperatures of 700, 800, 900, and 1000°C , respectively. The morphologies of ZnO films were studied by an atom force microscope (AFM). Subsequently, GaN epilayers about 500 nm thick were deposited on the ZnO buffer layers. The GaN/ZnO films were annealed in NH₃ ambient at 900°C. The microstructure, morphology and optical properties of GaN films were studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), AFM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence (PL). The results are shown, their properties having been investigated particularly as a function of the ZnO layers. For better growth of the GaN films, the optimal annealing temperature of the ZnO buffer layers was 900°C.     

Impact of thermal annealing on physical properties of vacuum evaporated polycrystalline CdTe thin films for solar cell applications

A study on impact of post-deposition thermal annealing on the physical properties of CdTe thin films is undertaken in this paper. The thin films of thickness 500 nm were grown on ITO and glass substrates employing thermal vacuum evaporation followed by post-deposition thermal annealing in air atmosphere within low temperature range 150–350 °C. These films were subjected to the XRD, UV‐Vis NIR spectrophotometer, source meter, SEM coupled with EDS and AFM for structural, optical, electrical and surface topographical analysis respectively. The diffraction patterns reveal that the films are having zinc-blende cubic structure with preferred orientation along (111) and polycrystalline in nature. The crystallographic parameters are calculated and discussed in detail. The optical band gap is found in the range 1.48–1.64 eV and observed to decrease with thermal annealing. The current–voltage characteristics show that the CdTe films exhibit linear ohmic behavior. The SEM studies show that the as-grown films are homogeneous, uniform and free from defects. The AFM studies reveal that the surface roughness of films is observed to increase with annealing. The experimental results reveal that the thermal annealing has significant impact on the physical properties of CdTe thin films and may be used as absorber layer to the CdTe/CdS thin films solar cells.     

Effect of process parameters and post-deposition annealing on the microwave dielectric and optical properties of pulsed laser deposited Bi<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1.0</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> thin films

Bismuth Zinc niobate (Bi_1.5Zn_1.0Nb_1.5O₇) thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method on fused silica substrates at different oxygen pressures. The structural, microwave dielectric and optical properties of these thin films were systematically studied for both the as-deposited and the annealed films at 600°C. The as-deposited films were all amorphous in nature but crystallized on annealing at 600°C in air. The surface morphology as studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals ultra-fine grains in the case of as-deposited thin films and cluster grain morphology on annealing. The as-deposited films exhibit refractive index in the range of 2.36–2.53 (at a wavelength of 750 nm) with an optical absorption edge value of 3.30–3.52 eV and a maximum dielectric constant of 11 at 12.15 GHz. On annealing the films at 600°C they crystallize to the cubic pyrochlore structure accompanied by an increase in band gap, refractive index and microwave dielectric constant.     

Luminescence Properties of Nanostructure ZnO-Covered Carbon Fibers Prepared by Thermal Oxidation

We report on ZnO nanosheets and nanorods synthesized by thermal oxidation of zinc films deposited on carbon fiber surfaces. The structure and optical properties are characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectrum. An orange-red emission around 683 nm is found in the PL spectrum when the sample prepaxs at 400℃ for four hours in air. With annealing temperature increasing from 400℃ to 500℃, the blue shift is observed.     

Structural and optical characterization of Sb-doped CuInS2 thin films grown by vacuum evaporation method

Structural, electrical and optical properties of Sb-doped CuInS₂ thin films grown by single source thermal evaporation method were studied. The films were annealed from 100 to 500 °C in air after the evaporation. The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that polycrystalline CuInS₂ films were successfully obtained by annealing above 200 °C. This temperature was lower than that of non-doped CuInS₂ films. Furthermore, We found that the Sb-doped CuInS₂ thin films became close to stoichiometry in comparison with non-doped CuInS₂ thin films. The Sb-doped samples annealed above 200 °C has bandgap energy of 1.43–1.50 eV.     

Ferroelectric Properties of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 Thin Films Crystallized inDifferent N2/O2 Ambients

Bi3.25La0.75 Ti3O12 （BLT） ferroelectric thin films are deposited by sol-gel method and annealed for crystallizaion in total l eccm N2/02 mixed gas with various ratio at 750℃ for 30rain. The effect of crystallization ambient on the structural and ferroelectric properties of the BLT films is studied. The growth direction and grain size of BLT film are revealed to affect ferroeleetric properties. Alter the BLT film is annealed in 20%O2, the largest P~ value is obtained, which is ascribed to an increase of random orientation and large grain size. The fatigue property is improved with the concentration of oxygen in the ambient increasing, which is ascribed to annealing in the ambient with high concentrated oxygen adequately decreasing the defects related to lack of oxygen.     

Effects of thermal annealing on titanium oxide films prepared by ion-assisted deposition

Titanium oxide thin films are prepared at a substrate temperature of 250 °C by electron-beam evaporation and ionassisted deposition. The effects of thermal annealing temperatures from 100 to 450 °C on the optical and mechanical properties are studied. The optical and mechanical properties include refractive indices, extinction coefficients, residual stress, surface roughness and crystallization. Experimental results show these properties of titanium oxide films clearly depend on the thermal annealing process.     

Influences of Annealing on Residual Stress and Structure of HfO2 Films

HfO2 films are deposited on BK7 glass substrates by electron beam evaporation. The influences of annealing between 100℃ and 400℃ on residual stresses and structures of HfO2 films are studied. It is found that little differences of spectra, residual stresses and structures are obtained after annealing at lower temperatures. After annealing at higher temperatures, the spectra shift to short wavelength, the residual stress increases with the increasing annealing temperature. At the same time, the crystallite size increases and interplanar distance decreases. The variations of optical spectra and residual stress correspond to the evolutions of structures induced by annealing.     

Optical properties of molybdenum oxide thin films deposited by?chemical vapor transport of MoO3(OH)2

MoO₃ thin films are useful for optical devices due to their electrochromic properties. In this study, deposition of MoO₂ thin films was successfully accomplished by chemical vapor transport (CVT) of volatile MoO₃(OH)₂. Subsequently, a MoO₃ thin film was obtained by annealing of the deposited MoO₂ at 400°C in an O₂ atmosphere. As annealing commenced, the optical transmittance of the films increased and their absorbance peaks were broadened and red-shifted due to reduced oxygen vacancy. Thus, the molybdenum oxide thin films can successfully be deposited using the CVT technique.     

Optical properties of PMN–PT thin films prepared using pulsed laser deposition

(1 ? x)Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–xPbTiO₃ (PMN–PT) thin films have been deposited on quartz substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Crystalline microstructure of the deposited PMN–PT thin films has been investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Optical transmission spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy are used to characterize optical properties of the deposited PMN–PT thin films. The results show that the PMN–PT thin films of perovskite structure have been formed, and the crystalline and optical properties of the PMN–PT thin films can be improved as increasing the annealing temperature to 750 °C, but further increasing the annealing temperature to 950 °C may lead to a degradation of the crystallinity and the optical properties of the PMN–PT thin films. In addition, a weak second harmonic intensity (SHG) has been observed for the PMN–PT thin film formed at the optimum annealing temperature of 750 °C according to Maker fringe method. All these suggest that the annealing temperature has significant effect on the structural and optical properties of the PMN–PT thin films.     

Investigation of thermal annealing effects on microstructural and optical properties of HfO2 thin films

In the present paper, we investigate the effect of thermal annealing on optical and microstructural properties of HfO₂ thin films (from 20 to 190 nm) obtained by plasma ion assisted deposition (PIAD). After deposition, the HfO₂ films were annealed in N₂ ambient for 3 h at 300, 350, 450, 500 and 750 °C. Several characterisation techniques including X-ray reflectometry (XRR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), UV Raman and FTIR were used for the physical characterisation of the as-deposited and annealed HfO₂ thin films. The results indicate that as-deposited PIAD HfO₂ films are mainly amorphous and a transition to a crystalline phase occurs at a temperature higher than 450 °C depending on the layer thickness. The crystalline grains consist of cubic and monoclinic phases already classified in literature but this work provides the first evidence of amorphous-cubic phase transition at a temperature as low as 500 °C. According to SE, XRR and FTIR results, an increase in the interfacial layer thickness can be observed only for high temperature annealing. The SE results show that the amorphous phase of HfO₂ (in 20 nm thick samples) has an optical bandgap of 5.51 eV. Following its transition to a crystalline phase upon annealing at 750 °C, the optical bandgap increases to 5.85 eV.     

Physical properties of vacuum evaporated CdTe thin films with post-deposition thermal annealing

This paper presents the physical properties of vacuum evaporated CdTe thin films with post-deposition thermal annealing. The thin films of thickness 500 nm were grown on glass and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates employing thermal vacuum evaporation technique followed by post-deposition thermal annealing at temperature 450 °C. These films were subjected to the X-ray diffraction (XRD),UV-Vis spectrophotometer, source meter and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for structural, optical, electrical and surface morphological analysis respectively. The X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the films have zinc-blende structure of single cubic phase with preferred orientation (111) and polycrystalline in nature. The crystallographic and optical parameters are calculated and discussed in brief. The optical band gap is found to be 1.62 eV and 1.52 eV for as-grown and annealed films respectively. The I–V characteristics show that the conductivity is decreased for annealed thin films. The AFM studies reveal that the surface roughness is observed to be increased for thermally annealed films.     

Epitaxial Properties of Co-Doped ZnO Thin Films Grown by Plasma Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

High quality Co-doped ZnO thin films are grown on single crystalline Al2O3（0001） and ZnO（0001） substrates by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy at a relatively lower substrate temperature of 450℃. The epitaxial conditions are examined with in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction （RHEED） and ex-situ high resolution x-ray diffraction （HRXRD）. The epitaxial thin films are single crystal at film thickness smaller than 500nm and nominal concentration of Co dopant up to 20%. It is indicated that the Co cation is incorporated into the ZnO matrix as Co^2＋ substituting Zn^2＋ ions. Atomic force microscopy shows smooth surfaces with rms roughness of 1.9 nm. Room-temperature magnetization measurements reveal that the Co-doped ZnO thin films are ferromagnetic with Curie temperatures Tc above room temperature.     

Temperature and Thickness Effects on Electrical Properties of InP Films Deposited by Spray Pyrolysis

InP film samples are prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using aqueous solutions of InCl₃ and Na₂HPO₄, which are atomized with compressed air as carrier gas onto glass substrates at 500°C with different thicknesses of the films. The structural properties of the samples are determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that the crystal structure of the InP films is polycrystalline hexagonal. The orientations of all the obtained films are along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The electrical measurements of the samples are obtained by dc four-probe technique on rectangular-shape samples. The effects of temperature on the electrical properties of the InP films are studied in detail.