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Nitrogen function of aluminum-nitride codoped ZnO films deposited using cosputter system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Li-Wen Lai ,
Jheng-Tai Yan ,
Chia-Hsun Chen ,
Li-Ren Lou  and
Ching-Ting Lee
Jheng-Tai Yan
Affiliation:
Institute of Microelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China
Chia-Hsun Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China
Ching-Ting Lee*
Affiliation:
Institute of Microelectronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 701 Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ctlee@ee.ncku.edu.tw
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Abstract

AlN codoped ZnO films were deposited on sapphire substrates at low temperature using a cosputter system under various N2/(N2 + Ar) flow ratios. To investigate the nitrogen function, the ratio of nitrogen ambient was varied during cosputtering. AlN codoped ZnO films with various crystallographic structures and bonding configurations were measured. With an adequate nitrogen atmosphere deposition condition and postannealing temperature at 450 °C, the p-type conductive behaviors of AlN codoped ZnO films were achieved due to the formation of Zn–N bonds. According to the low-temperature photoluminescence spectra, the binding energy (EA) of 0.16 eV for N acceptors can be calculated. Using time-resolved photoluminescence measurement, the carrier lifetime in AlN codoped ZnO films increases due to the reduction of oxygen vacancies caused by the occupation of adequate nitrogen atoms.

Keywords

LuminescenceSputteringX-ray diffraction (XRD)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 7 , July 2009 , pp. 2252 - 2258
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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