Behavior of oxygen in zinc oxide films through thermal annealing and its effect on sheet resistance

Behavior of oxygen in sputtering deposited ZnO films through thermal annealing and its effect on sheet resistance of the films were investigated. The crystallinities of the ZnO film were improved by post-deposition annealing in vacuum. However, the sheet resistance of ZnO film was dramatically decreased after post-deposition annealing in vacuum at more than 300 °C, while O₂ desorbed from the film. The oxygen vacancies which acted as donors were formed by the thermal annealing in vacuum. The sheet resistance of the films was recovered by annealing in oxygen ambient. In this paper, ¹⁸O₂ gas as an oxygen isotope was used as the annealing ambient in order to distinguish from ¹⁶O, which was constituent atom of the ZnO films. SIMS analysis revealed that ¹⁸O diffused into the ZnO film from the top surface by ¹⁸O₂ annealing. Therefore oxygen vacancies formed by the post-deposition annealing in vacuum could be compensated by the annealing in oxygen ambient.     

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.     

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.     

Structural manipulation of ultrathin organic films on metal surfaces: the case of decane thiol/Au(111)

3 (CH₂)₉]SH) have been adsorbed on Au(111) single crystals both via vacuum deposition and from an ethanolic solution. The epitaxial structure of the ultrathin organic films has been identified at room temperature via low-energy electron diffraction to be c(4×2)R30° for the solution grown film and rectangular c(23×) for the vacuum deposited film. These structures correspond to molecules adsorbed on the surface with their carbon chains flat on the surface (vacuum deposited) and nearly perpendicular (solution grown). It is demonstrated that this orientation can be changed reversibly in vacuum via either annealing the films or exposing them to additional gas. Received: 7 February 1997/Accepted: 27 May 1997     

Giant electric conductivity at the CuO-Cu interface: HTSC-like temperature variations

The temperature dependence of electric conductivity and current-voltage characteristics were studied in CuO single crystals with Cu films deposited onto natural faces by thermal evaporation in vacuum or by electrolysis. After electric (resistive) or thermal annealing of the samples, the conductivity of Cu films in this system significantly increases (by a factor of up to 1.5×10⁵ and above) as compared to that of the control Cu films on a glass-ceramic substrate. The effect is attributed to an interfacial layer formed between CuO and Cu, the high conductivity mechanism in which is unclear. It is suggested that the giant electric conductivity and its HTSC-like temperature dependence, as well as nonlinear current–voltage characteristics of the samples can be due to the formation of superconducting regions with the critical temperatures significantly higher than 400 K.     

Synthesis and photoelectric characterization of delafossite conducting oxides CuAlO2 laminar crystal thin films via sol-gel method

Thin films of delafossite of CuAlO₂ laminar crystals on metal substrates (Ni plates) were prepared by sol-gel processing and subsequent thermal treatment in vacuum. The influence of annealing treatment on surface morphologies and structure of the samples is discussed. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) shows the laminar surface architecture of the as-prepared CuAlO₂ thin films. The electrical property of sample was investigated by current-voltage analysis, which indicates that a rectifying junction between CuAlO₂ film and metal substrate is formed and forward current exceeds reverse current by a factor of up to three. Otherwise, the photoelectrochemical characteristics recorded under 250 mW/cm² illumination show that the as-prepared thin film electrode which was annealed at 1150 °C for 4 h in vacuum possesses the highest photocurrent density, which is 0.7 mA/cm² at 0 V vs Ag/AgCl.     

HF sputtered indium oxide films doped with tin

Indium-tin-oxide films (ITO films) sputtered in Ar-atmosphere with and without addition of oxygen reveal an irreversible increase in conductivity during annealing in vacuum. This annealing process increases drastically the density of free electrons, while the Hall mobility changes only slightly. Below the annealing temperature the temperature dependence of the conductivity is reversible. In films with low density of free electrons, which behave like non-degenerated semiconductors, two activation energies for the mobility could be found. The irreversible changes, observed during annealing in the vacuum, are explained by diffusion of oxygen from the interior of the film to the surface, followed by desorption of the oxygen from the surface into the vacuum. The excess oxygen in the non-stoichiometric films plays the role of electron traps. The irreversible effects during annealing in the vacuum are partly reversible in the long run. If the annealed films are exposed to oxygen or air their conductivity decreases because of diffusion of oxygen from the surface into the film.     

Studying the effect of oxygen content on the electron structure of Nd<Subscript>1.85</Subscript>Ce<Subscript>0.15</Subscript>CuO<Subscript>4</Subscript> by means of photoelectron spectromicroscopy

Changes in the electron structure of the surface layer of Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO₄ (NCCO) epitaxial films, which were caused by variation of the oxygen content and modification of the crystal structure of samples as a result of Ar⁺ ion etching and annealing, have been studied by means of photoelectron spectromicroscopy. A method is proposed for the cleaning the surface of oxygen-containing superconductors, which includes sequential stages of deep ion etching, high-temperature annealing in an oxygen-containing atmosphere (for the structural recovery and saturation with oxygen), a short-term ion etching (for the removal of an adsorbed layer of the oxidizer), and the final vacuum annealing of radiation-induced effects. The application of this procedure to NCCO films allowed an electron structure to be obtained, which was identical to that inherent in the surface of single crystals cleaved in situ in the measurement chamber.     

Synthesis and characterization of palladium nanoislands on the silicon surface

Samples representing a system of Pd nanoparticles on a Si surface is obtained. The metal is deposited onto the substrate by thermal evaporation in vacuum. The system of nanoparticles is formed using a thin screen located at an angle to the substrate and by vacuum annealing of ultrathin continuous palladium films. The chemical composition of the deposited substance is studied by Auger electron spectroscopy. The size and topology of the islands on the surface is established by scanning electron microscopy.     

真空退火对氟化非晶碳薄膜结构的影响

在苯(C6H6)和四氟化碳(CF4)混合气体中,用微波电子回旋共振等离子体化学气相沉积技术(ECRCVD)在不同功率下制备了氟化非晶碳膜(aC:F),为了检测膜的热稳定性对其进行了真空退火处理,测量了退火前后膜厚的变化率,并用傅里叶变换红外吸收光谱(FTIR)研究了其结构的变化.结果表明,膜厚变化率与沉积功率有关;400℃退火后低功率下沉积的膜的结构变化显著,高功率下沉积的膜则呈现了较好的热稳定性. 关键词： ECR-CVD aC:F薄膜 真空退火     

Oxidation and thermal annealing effects on native and ion-irradiated PbTe films grown by molecular beam deposition

Investigations are reported into the effect of low-pressure oxygen exposure and thermal annealing on the carrier transport properties of native and 350 eV Ar⁺ bombarded PbTe films. The electrical measurements were madein situ on MBD-grown PbTe films without breaking vacuum. On native surfaces, oxidation was initially sustained by diffusion of a donor species from the film bulk to the surface, where reaction with oxygen occured. This diffusion process was apparently inhibited on ion irradiated films and direct doping of the film surface effected a gradual reduction in the ion-induced electron accumulation resident at the film surface. The native properties and behavioural characteristics of the films could be recovered by thermal annealing of the ion-irradiated and/or oxidized films at 300–350 °C.     

Interfacial reactions of ultrahigh vacuum deposited ytterbium thin films on silicon

Epitaxial ytterbium silicide thin films were grown on (111)Si by ultrahigh vacuum deposition and subsequent thermal annealing. The epitaxial YbSi(2-x) thin films consist of various kinds of defects such as vacancies, stacking faults, and pinholes. The vacancies were ordered so as to relax the compressive stress in Si sublattice of YbSi(2-x) thin films. The vacancy ordering structure is of an out-of-step structure with higher vacancy concentration after higher temperature annealing so that the compressive stress was further relaxed. A high density of stacking faults was present in the epitaxial YbSi(2-x) thin films. The stacking faults were annihilated by high temperature annealing. Pinholes also formed in the epitaxial YbSi(2-x) thin films and could be avoided by appropriate fabrication process. The epitaxial YbSi(2-x) thin films were thermally stable up to 1000 degrees C.     

Co离子注入TiO2薄膜的显微结构和磁性研究

利用直流磁控溅射技术在玻璃衬底上沉积了TiO₂薄膜,并对其进行了Co离子注入,最后在真空中500 ℃退火50 min,得到系列薄膜样品. 利用剥离-分散方法制备了薄膜的透射电镜样品,并用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线能量散射谱(EDX)和高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)对样品做了近似原位观察,研究了薄膜样品中不同Co离子注入深度的成分分布和显微结构. 结果表明,薄膜呈锐钛矿结构,Co元素主要分布在薄膜表层,Co离子的注入使TiO₂薄膜的晶粒被部分破坏,并形成CoO,而5 关键词： 2薄膜')" href="#">Co注入TiO₂薄膜 电镜原位观察 室温铁磁性     

退火处理对磁控溅射制备LaCoO_3薄膜性能的影响

采用磁控溅射法在硅衬底上制备了LaCoO_3(LCO)薄膜,研究了退火温度对LCO薄膜组织结构、表面形貌及热电特性的影响,并利用X射线衍射仪、原子力显微镜(AFM)、激光导热仪等对LCO薄膜的晶体结构、表面形貌、热扩散系数等进行测量与表征.结果表明:退火温度对LCO薄膜的结晶度、晶粒尺寸和薄膜表面形貌都有较大影响;退火前后LCO薄膜的热扩散系数都随温度的升高而减小,且变化速率逐渐减缓; LCO薄膜的热扩散系数随退化温度的升高先增大后减小.LCO薄膜经过700℃退火后得到最佳的综合性能,其薄膜表面致密、平整,结晶质量最好,热扩散系数最小,热电性能最好.     

Densification study of ITO films during high temperature annealing by GISAXS

Three thermal routes were treated on the sol-gel ITO films, i.e. conventional thermal annealing (CTA), rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and thermal cycle annealing (TCA). The near surface and internal structures of films were characterized by grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) technique. It is found that slit-like pores show fractal structures laterally and the near surface is sparser with bigger pores. Ordered pore structure normal to the film appears when films are annealed at high heating rate. The shrinkage of pores is mainly owing to structural relaxation and diffusion during the superheating process. However, the supercooling process has no significant effect on the structures. Furthermore, CTA samples have the greatest porosity and surface roughness due to the prevailing crystallization as well as the coarsening procedure. However small pores inside the films are eliminated at low temperature.     

Photoelectron spectroscopy of nanocrystalline anatase TiO2 films

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ (anatase) films were prepared using either colloidal suspensions or a sol-gel route. The electronic structure of these films was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). Apart from pristine films, films containing defects introduced by annealing under ultra-high vacuum conditions or by ion bombardment were investigated. Generally, annealing in the temperature range up to 720 K results in no significant changes in the XPS and UPS spectra as compared to the pristine state, indicating that the amount of defect formation is too low to be observable by these techniques. On the other hand, ion irradiation causes the appearance of distinct defect states; these could be identified in agreement with previous data from photoemission studies on rutile and anatase single crystals. From UPS, a valence-band width of ∼4.6 eV was determined for the nanocrystalline anatase films.     

Atomic force microscopy study of the degradation mechanism of ultrathin HfO2 layers on silicon during vacuum annealing

A complex approach to study the initial stage of degradation of hafnium oxide dielectric films during vacuum thermal annealing up to T = 900°C is proposed. Spreading resistance, Kelvin probe, and force modulation methods are used in addition to surface topography measurements. It is found that degradation processes of ultrathin hafnium oxide layers in contact with silicon during vacuum annealing are characterized by strong spatial inhomogeneity, and it is demonstrated that some areas can be localized at different stages of this process.     

Changes in the structures and phases of tin-fullerite films during annealing

The patterns of change in the structure and phase composition of tin-fullerite films subjected to thermal annealing in vacuum at different temperatures (430, 450, 470, and 490 K) are studied using scanning electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray spectrum microanalysis. It is established that annealing at T = 450 K or higher leads to significant changes in the structures and phases of films; namely, new phases Sn _x C₆₀ are formed in the form of threadlike crystals with lengths of 6 μm containing 98 at % C and 2 at % Sn and ball-shaped isolations with diameters up to 12 μm consisting of 50 at % C and 50 at % Sn.     

Rapid thermal annealing of ITO films

Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films with 200 nm thickness were deposited on glass substrates by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. And they were annealed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) method in vacuum ambient at different temperature for 60 s. The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO films was investigated. As the RTA temperature increases, the resistivity of ITO films decreases dramatically, and the transmittance in the visible region increases obviously. The ITO film annealed at 600 °C by RTA in vacuum shows a resistivity of 1.6 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm and a transmittance of 92%.     

镱铒共掺Al2O3薄膜激光退火研究

讨论了激光退火工艺参量对镱铒共掺Al2O3薄膜表面形貌和退火均匀性的影响。薄膜样品被置放于衰减扩束透镜的3倍焦距位置时,薄膜上8 mm半径区域内近似均匀退火;退火时间为32 s时,表面形貌与退火前基本相同。阈值退火功率为5 W,最佳退火功率为20 W。对相同工艺制备的镱铒共掺Al2O3薄膜分别进行CO2激光退火和热退火处理,光致发光(PL)谱测量表明,前者峰值强度比后者强10倍以上,并且热退火光致发光强度随抽运功率增加出现饱和、下降,而激光退火近似随抽运功率单调线性增强。