The Effect of RF Sputtering Conditions on the Physical Characteristics of Deposited GeGaN Thin Film

Abstract

Ge0.07GaN films were successfully made on Si (100), SiO2/Si (100) substrates by a radio frequency reactive sputtering technique at various deposition conditions listed as a range of 100–400 °C and 90–150 W with a single ceramic target containing 7 at % dopant Ge. The results showed that different RF sputtering power and heating temperature conditions affected the structural, electrical and optical properties of the sputtered Ge0.07GaN films. The as-deposited Ge0.07GaN films had an structural polycrystalline. The GeGaN films had a distorted structure under different growth conditions. The deposited-150 W Ge0.07GaN film exhibited the lowest photoenergy of 2.96 eV, the highest electron concentration of 5.50 × 1019 cm−3, a carrier conductivity of 35.2 S∙cm−1 and mobility of 4 cm2·V−1∙s−1.