Ultra-High Photosensitivity of Nb2O5/Si Prepared by DC reactive Magnetron Sputtering Technique

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this work is to prepare Nb2O5 thin films utilizing DC reactive magnetron sputtering in a range of sputtering powers (25, 50, and 75 W) on silicon wafers and quartz substrates. The structure, morphological, optical, and electrical features of the manufactured Nb2O5 thin films were studied with the assistance of an XRD analysis, FE-SEM, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer, and I-V tests. According to the X-ray diffraction, Nb2O5 is a natural polycrystalline substance with a hexagonal crystal structure. In addition, the images obtained from the FE-SEM revealed that the films are uniformly deposited and that the configuration and size of the nanostructures highly depend on the deposition parameters. On the other hand, from the EDS results, the Nb content increased with increasing DC sputtering power. Furthermore, these thin films were exceptionally responsive to the ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 350 nm, because the optical energy gap in the ultraviolet region was in the middle of 3.73 and 4.47 eV, with a maximum photosensitivity of 514.89% for films prepared at a power of 50 W. Finally, the thin films made of Nb2O5 are well-suited for use in visible-blind ultraviolet (UV) sensors and circuits made of optoelectronics, specifically the ones that work in the area of UV-A region.