Effect of thermal annealing in a-InxGa1–xN films prepared by reactive RF-sputtering

Abstract

We deposited amorphous indium gallium nitride (a-InxGa1–xN) films at room temperature by reactive radio frequency sputtering with GaN and InN targets and investigated the change of their properties from thermal annealing at annealing temperatures, Ta, below 200 °C. A large change in the indium and nitrogen composition ratios was not observed by thermal annealing at a Ta below 200 °C. In the X-ray diffraction patterns of the films annealed at a Ta below 200 °C, no perceivable peaks assigned to crystalline InxGa1–xN were found. The photoconductivty, σp, increased with an increase in Ta. On the other hand, the increase of the dark conductivity, σd, was very small with an increase in Ta below 200 °C. As a result, the photosensitivity, σp/σd, increased from 252 to 2500 by thermal annealing at a Ta of 200 °C.