Structural and spectroscopic analysis of ex-situ annealed RF sputtered aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films

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Publication Date
2017Author
Francis Otieno, Mildred Airo, Rudolph M Erasmus, David G Billing, Alexander Quandt, Daniel Wamwangi
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Aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films are prepared by Radio Frequency magnetron sputtering in
pure argon atmosphere at 100 W. The structural results reveal good film adhesion on a silicon
substrate (001). The thin films were then subjected to heat treatment in a furnace under ambient
air. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the thin films as a function of
deposition time and annealing temperatures have been investigated using Grazing incidence
X-Ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Atomic Force Microscopy, and Scanning Electronic Microscopy.
The photoluminescence properties of the annealed films showed significant changes in the optical
properties attributed to mid gap defects. Annealing increases the crystallite size and the roughness
of the film. The crystallinity of the films also improved as evident from the Raman and XRD studies.