TY - JOUR
T1 - Enhancing the optoelectronic properties of amorphous zinc tin oxide by subgap defect passivation
T2 - A theoretical and experimental demonstration
AU - Rucavado, Esteban
AU - Jeangros, Quentin
AU - Urban, Daniel F.
AU - Holovský, Jakub
AU - Remes, Zdenek
AU - Duchamp, Martial
AU - Landucci, Federica
AU - Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E.
AU - Körner, Wolfgang
AU - Elsässer, Christian
AU - Hessler-Wyser, Aïcha
AU - Morales-Masis, Monica
AU - Ballif, Christophe
PY - 2017/6/9
Y1 - 2017/6/9
N2 - The link between sub-bandgap states and optoelectronic properties is investigated for amorphous zinc tin oxide (a-ZTO) thin films deposited by RF sputtering. a-ZTO samples were annealed up to 500 °C in oxidizing, neutral, and reducing atmospheres before characterizing their structural and optoelectronic properties by photothermal deflection spectroscopy, near-infrared-visible UV spectrophotometry, Hall effect, Rutherford backscattering, hydrogen forward scattering and transmission electron microscopy. By combining the experimental results with density functional theory calculations, oxygen deficiencies and resulting metal atoms clusters are identified as the source of subgap states, some of which act as electron donors but also as free electron scattering centers. The role of hydrogen on the optoelectronic properties is also discussed. Based on this detailed understanding of the different point defects present in a-ZTO, their impact on optoelectronic properties, and how they can be suppressed by postdeposition annealing treatments, an amorphous indium-free transparent conductive oxide, with a high thermal stability and an electron mobility up to 35cm2V-1s-1, is demonstrated by defect passivation.
AB - The link between sub-bandgap states and optoelectronic properties is investigated for amorphous zinc tin oxide (a-ZTO) thin films deposited by RF sputtering. a-ZTO samples were annealed up to 500 °C in oxidizing, neutral, and reducing atmospheres before characterizing their structural and optoelectronic properties by photothermal deflection spectroscopy, near-infrared-visible UV spectrophotometry, Hall effect, Rutherford backscattering, hydrogen forward scattering and transmission electron microscopy. By combining the experimental results with density functional theory calculations, oxygen deficiencies and resulting metal atoms clusters are identified as the source of subgap states, some of which act as electron donors but also as free electron scattering centers. The role of hydrogen on the optoelectronic properties is also discussed. Based on this detailed understanding of the different point defects present in a-ZTO, their impact on optoelectronic properties, and how they can be suppressed by postdeposition annealing treatments, an amorphous indium-free transparent conductive oxide, with a high thermal stability and an electron mobility up to 35cm2V-1s-1, is demonstrated by defect passivation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85023177501&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.95.245204
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.95.245204
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85023177501
SN - 2469-9950
VL - 95
JO - Physical review B: Covering condensed matter and materials physics
JF - Physical review B: Covering condensed matter and materials physics
IS - 24
M1 - 245204
ER -