Influence of Oxygen on Zinc Oxide Films Fabricated by Ion-Beam Sputter Deposition

Abstract

In this study, zinc oxide films were deposited by an ion-beam sputter deposition in various oxygen partial pressures at room temperature. The films changed the structures from amorphous to polycrystalline with increasing the oxygen partial pressure (). The optimal was found at Torr because the film prepared at the oxygen partial pressure had the lowest resistivity and the highest transparence in the visible light region. The lowest resistivity results from a great number of oxygen vacancy sites formed on the polycrystalline surface as exposed to the atmosphere. Moreover, the film has the highest XRD peak intensity, smallest FWHM diffraction peak, smallest -spacing, and smallest biaxial stress.