Dual role of boron in improving electrical performance and device stability of low temperature solution processed ZnO thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gandla, Srinivas; Gollu, Sankara Rao; Sharma, Ramakant; Sarangi, Venkateshwarlu; Gupta, Dipti, E-mail: diptig@iitb.ac.in [Plastic Electronics and Energy Laboratory (PEEL), Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076 (India)

2015-10-12

In this paper, we have demonstrated the dual role of boron doping in enhancing the device performance parameters as well as the device stability in low temperatures (200 °C) sol-gel processed ZnO thin film transistors (TFTs). Our studies suggest that boron is able to act as a carrier generator and oxygen vacancy suppressor simultaneously. Boron-doped ZnO TFTs with 8 mol. % of boron concentration demonstrated field-effect mobility value of 1.2 cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1} and threshold voltage of 6.2 V, respectively. Further, these devices showed lower shift in threshold voltage during the hysteresis and bias stress measurements as compared to undoped ZnO TFTs.

Micro-patterned ZnO semiconductors for high performance thin film transistors via chemical imprinting with a PDMS stamp.

Science.gov (United States)

Seong, Kieun; Kim, Kyongjun; Park, Si Yun; Kim, Youn Sang

2013-04-07

Chemical imprinting was conducted on ZnO semiconductor films via a chemical reaction at the contact regions between a micro-patterned PDMS stamp and ZnO films. In addition, we applied the chemical imprinting on Li doped ZnO thin films for high performance TFTs fabrication. The representative micro-patterned Li doped ZnO TFTs showed a field effect mobility of 4.2 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) after sintering at 300 °C.

Laser nanostructuring of ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nedyalkov, N., E-mail: nned@ie.bas.bg [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 223-8522 (Japan); Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko shousse 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Koleva, M.; Nikov, R.; Atanasov, P. [Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tzarigradsko shousse 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Nakajima, Y.; Takami, A.; Shibata, A.; Terakawa, M. [Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi Kohoku-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 223-8522 (Japan)

2016-06-30

Highlights: • Nanosecond laser pulse nanostructuring of ZnO thin films on metal substrate is demonstrated. • Two regimes of the thin film modification are observed depending on the applied laser fluence. • At high fluence regime the ZnO film is homogeneously decomposed into nanosized particles. • The characteristic size of the formed nanostructures corresponds to the domain size of the thin film. - Abstract: In this work, results on laser processing of thin zinc oxide films deposited on metal substrate are presented. ZnO films are obtained by classical nanosecond pulsed laser deposition method in oxygen atmosphere on tantalum substrate. The produced films are then processed by nanosecond laser pulses at wavelength of 355 nm. The laser processing parameters and the film thickness are varied and their influence on the fabricated structures is estimated. The film morphology after the laser treatment is found to depend strongly on the laser fluence as two regimes are defined. It is shown that at certain conditions (high fluence regime) the laser treatment of the film leads to formation of a discrete nanostructure, composed of spherical like nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. The dynamics of the melt film on the substrate and fast cooling are found to be the main mechanisms for fabrication of the observed structures. The demonstrated method is an alternative way for direct fabrication of ZnO nanostructures on metal which can be easy implemented in applications as resistive sensor devices, electroluminescent elements, solar cell technology.

Effect of ZnO channel thickness on the device behaviour of nonvolatile memory thin film transistors with double-layered gate insulators of Al2O3 and ferroelectric polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Sung-Min; Yang, Shin-Hyuk; Ko Park, Sang-Hee; Jung, Soon-Won; Cho, Doo-Hee; Byun, Chun-Won; Kang, Seung-Youl; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Yu, Byoung-Gon

2009-01-01

Poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) and ZnO were employed for nonvolatile memory thin film transistors as ferroelectric gate insulator and oxide semiconducting channel layers, respectively. It was proposed that the thickness of the ZnO layer be carefully controlled for realizing the lower programming voltage, because the serially connected capacitor by the formation of a fully depleted ZnO channel had a critical effect on the off programming voltage. The fabricated memory transistor with Al/P(VDF-TrFE) (80 nm)/Al 2 O 3 (4 nm)/ZnO (5 nm) exhibits encouraging behaviour such as a memory window of 3.8 V at the gate voltage of -10 to 12 V, and 10 7 on/off ratio, and a gate leakage current of 10 -11 A.

Inverter Circuits Using ZnO Nanoparticle Based Thin-Film Transistors for Flexible Electronic Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidor, Fábio F; Meyers, Thorsten; Hilleringmann, Ulrich

2016-08-23

Innovative systems exploring the flexibility and the transparency of modern semiconducting materials are being widely researched by the scientific community and by several companies. For a low-cost production and large surface area applications, thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the key elements driving the system currents. In order to maintain a cost efficient integration process, solution based materials are used as they show an outstanding tradeoff between cost and system complexity. In this paper, we discuss the integration process of ZnO nanoparticle TFTs using a high- k resin as gate dielectric. The performance in dependence on the transistor structure has been investigated, and inverted staggered setups depict an improved performance over the coplanar device increasing both the field-effect mobility and the I ON / I OFF ratio. Aiming at the evaluation of the TFT characteristics for digital circuit applications, inverter circuits using a load TFT in the pull-up network and an active TFT in the pull-down network were integrated. The inverters show reasonable switching characteristics and V / V gains. Conjointly, the influence of the geometry ratio and the supply voltage on the devices have been analyzed. Moreover, as all integration steps are suitable to polymeric templates, the fabrication process is fully compatible to flexible substrates.

Inverter Circuits Using ZnO Nanoparticle Based Thin-Film Transistors for Flexible Electronic Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio F. Vidor

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Innovative systems exploring the flexibility and the transparency of modern semiconducting materials are being widely researched by the scientific community and by several companies. For a low-cost production and large surface area applications, thin-film transistors (TFTs are the key elements driving the system currents. In order to maintain a cost efficient integration process, solution based materials are used as they show an outstanding tradeoff between cost and system complexity. In this paper, we discuss the integration process of ZnO nanoparticle TFTs using a high-k resin as gate dielectric. The performance in dependence on the transistor structure has been investigated, and inverted staggered setups depict an improved performance over the coplanar device increasing both the field-effect mobility and the ION/IOFF ratio. Aiming at the evaluation of the TFT characteristics for digital circuit applications, inverter circuits using a load TFT in the pull-up network and an active TFT in the pull-down network were integrated. The inverters show reasonable switching characteristics and V/V gains. Conjointly, the influence of the geometry ratio and the supply voltage on the devices have been analyzed. Moreover, as all integration steps are suitable to polymeric templates, the fabrication process is fully compatible to flexible substrates.

Enhanced ultraviolet photo-response in Dy doped ZnO thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Pawan; Singh, Ranveer; Pandey, Praveen C.

2018-02-01

In the present work, a Dy doped ZnO thin film deposited by the spin coating method has been studied for its potential application in a ZnO based UV detector. The investigations on the structural property and surface morphology of the thin film ensure that the prepared samples are crystalline and exhibit a hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO. A small change in crystallite size has been observed due to Dy doping in ZnO. AFM analysis ascertains the grain growth and smooth surface of the thin films. The Dy doped ZnO thin film exhibits a significant enhancement in UV region absorption as compared to the pure ZnO thin film, which suggests that Dy doped ZnO can be used as a UV detector. Under UV irradiation of wavelength 325 nm, the photocurrent value of Dy doped ZnO is 105.54 μA at 4.5 V, which is 31 times greater than that of the un-doped ZnO thin film (3.39 μA). The calculated value of responsivity is found to increase significantly due to the incorporation of Dy in the ZnO lattice. The observed higher value of photocurrent and responsivity could be attributed to the substitution of Dy in the ZnO lattice, which enhances the conductivity, electron mobility, and defects in ZnO and benefits the UV sensing property.

Effect of atomic layer deposition temperature on the performance of top-down ZnO nanowire transistors

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This paper studies the effect of atomic layer deposition (ALD) temperature on the performance of top-down ZnO nanowire transistors. Electrical characteristics are presented for 10-μm ZnO nanowire field-effect transistors (FETs) and for deposition temperatures in the range 120°C to 210°C. Well-behaved transistor output characteristics are obtained for all deposition temperatures. It is shown that the maximum field-effect mobility occurs for an ALD temperature of 190°C. This maximum field-effect mobility corresponds with a maximum Hall effect bulk mobility and with a ZnO film that is stoichiometric. The optimized transistors have a field-effect mobility of 10 cm2/V.s, which is approximately ten times higher than can typically be achieved in thin-film amorphous silicon transistors. Furthermore, simulations indicate that the drain current and field-effect mobility extraction are limited by the contact resistance. When the effects of contact resistance are de-embedded, a field-effect mobility of 129 cm2/V.s is obtained. This excellent result demonstrates the promise of top-down ZnO nanowire technology for a wide variety of applications such as high-performance thin-film electronics, flexible electronics, and biosensing. PMID:25276107

Research Update: Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Reactors, doping, and devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoye, Robert L. Z., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L., E-mail: rlzh2@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jld35@cam.ac.uk [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS (United Kingdom); Muñoz-Rojas, David [LMGP, University Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, F-3800 Grenoble (France); Nelson, Shelby F. [Kodak Research Laboratories, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York 14650 (United States); Illiberi, Andrea; Poodt, Paul [Holst Centre/TNO Thin Film Technology, Eindhoven, 5656 AE (Netherlands); Roozeboom, Fred [Holst Centre/TNO Thin Film Technology, Eindhoven, 5656 AE (Netherlands); Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, Eindhoven, 5600 MB (Netherlands)

2015-04-01

Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD) has recently emerged as an appealing technique for rapidly producing high quality oxides. Here, we focus on the use of AP-SALD to deposit functional ZnO thin films, particularly on the reactors used, the film properties, and the dopants that have been studied. We highlight how these films are advantageous for the performance of solar cells, organometal halide perovskite light emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors. Future AP-SALD technology will enable the commercial processing of thin films over large areas on a sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll basis, with new reactor designs emerging for flexible plastic and paper electronics.

Highly stable field emission from ZnO nanowire field emitters controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaojie; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Zhipeng; Ou, Hai; She, Juncong; Deng, Shaozhi; Xu, Ningsheng; Chen, Jun

2018-04-01

Lowering the driving voltage and improving the stability of nanowire field emitters are essential for them to be applied in devices. In this study the characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire field emitter arrays (FEAs) controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor (a-IGZO TFT) were studied. A low driving voltage along with stabilization of the field emission current were achieved. Modulation of field emission currents up to three orders of magnitude was achieved at a gate voltage of 0–32 V for a constant anode voltage. Additionally, a-IGZO TFT control can dramatically reduce the emission current fluctuation (i.e., from 46.11 to 1.79% at an emission current of ∼3.7 µA). Both the a-IGZO TFT and ZnO nanowire FEAs were prepared on glass substrates in our research, demonstrating the feasibility of realizing large area a-IGZO TFT-controlled ZnO nanowire FEAs.

ZnO-channel thin-film transistors: Channel mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, R.L.

2004-01-01

ZnO-channel thin-film transistor (TFT) test structures are fabricated using a bottom-gate structure on thermally oxidized Si; ZnO is deposited via RF sputtering from an oxide target, with an unheated substrate. Electrical characteristics are evaluated, with particular attention given to the extraction and interpretation of transistor channel mobility. ZnO-channel TFT mobility exhibits severe deviation from that assumed by ideal TFT models; mobility extraction methodology must accordingly be recast so as to provide useful insight into device operation. Two mobility metrics, μ avg and μ inc , are developed and proposed as relevant tools in the characterization of nonideal TFTs. These mobility metrics are employed to characterize the ZnO-channel TFTs reported herein; values for μ inc as high as 25 cm2/V s are measured, comprising a substantial increase in ZnO-channel TFT mobility as compared to previously reported performance for such devices

Single-Crystal Mesoporous ZnO Thin Films Composed of Nanowalls

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xudong

2009-02-05

This paper presents a controlled, large scale fabrication of mesoporous ZnO thin films. The entire ZnO mesoporous film is one piece of a single crystal, while high porosity made of nanowalls is present. The growth mechanism was proposed in comparison with the growth of ZnO nanowires. The ZnO mesoporous film was successfully applied as a gas sensor. The fabrication and growth analysis of the mesoporous ZnO thin film gi ve general guidance for the controlled growth of nanostructures. It also pro vides a unique structure with a superhigh surface-to-volume ratio for surface-related applications. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Research Update: Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Reactors, doping, and devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert L. Z. Hoye

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD has recently emerged as an appealing technique for rapidly producing high quality oxides. Here, we focus on the use of AP-SALD to deposit functional ZnO thin films, particularly on the reactors used, the film properties, and the dopants that have been studied. We highlight how these films are advantageous for the performance of solar cells, organometal halide perovskite light emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors. Future AP-SALD technology will enable the commercial processing of thin films over large areas on a sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll basis, with new reactor designs emerging for flexible plastic and paper electronics.

Implanted ZnO thin films: Microstructure, electrical and electronic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.; Metson, J.; Evans, P.J.; Kinsey, R.; Bhattacharyya, D.

2007-01-01

Magnetron sputtered polycrystalline ZnO thin films were implanted using Al, Ag, Sn, Sb and codoped with TiN in order to improve the conductivity and to attempt to achieve p-type behaviour. Structural and electrical properties of the implanted ZnO thin films were examined with X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conductivity measurements. Depth profiles of the implanted elements varied with the implant species. Implantation causes a partial amorphisation of the crystalline structure and decreases the effective grain size of the films. One of the findings is the improvement, as a consequence of implantation, in the conductivity of initially poorly conductive samples. Heavy doping may help for the conversion of conduction type of ZnO thin films. Annealing in vacuum mitigated structural damage and stress caused by implantation, and improved the conductivity of the implanted ZnO thin films

Nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel spin-coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heredia, E., E-mail: heredia.edu@gmail.com [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bojorge, C.; Casanova, J.; Cánepa, H. [UNIDEF (CONICET-MINDEF), J.B. de La Salle 4397, 1603 Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Craievich, A. [Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, 66318 São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Kellermann, G. [Universidade Federal do Paraná, 19044 Paraná (Brazil)

2014-10-30

Highlights: • ZnO films synthesized by sol–gel were deposited by spin-coating on flat substrates. • Structural features of ZnO films with several thicknesses were characterized by means of different techniques. • The thicknesses of different ZnO thin films were determined by means of FESEM and AFM. • The nanoporous structures of ZnO thin films were characterized by GISAXS using IsGISAXS software. • The average densities of ZnO thin films were derived from (i) the critical angle in 1D XR patterns, (ii) the angle of Yoneda peak in 2D GISAXS images, (iii) minimization of chi2 using IsGISAXS best fitting procedure. - Abstract: ZnO thin films deposited on silica flat plates were prepared by spin-coating and studied by applying several techniques for structural characterization. The films were prepared by depositing different numbers of layers, each deposition being followed by a thermal treatment at 200 °C to dry and consolidate the successive layers. After depositing all layers, a final thermal treatment at 450 °C during 3 h was also applied in order to eliminate organic components and to promote the crystallization of the thin films. The total thickness of the multilayered films – ranging from 40 nm up to 150 nm – was determined by AFM and FESEM. The analysis by GIXD showed that the thin films are composed of ZnO crystallites with an average diameter of 25 nm circa. XR results demonstrated that the thin films also exhibit a large volume fraction of nanoporosity, typically 30–40 vol.% in thin films having thicknesses larger than ∼70 nm. GISAXS measurements showed that the experimental scattering intensity is well described by a structural model composed of nanopores with shape of oblate spheroids, height/diameter aspect ratio within the 0.8–0.9 range and average diameter along the sample surface plane in the 5–7 nm range.

Fabrication of assembled ZnO/TiO2 heterojunction thin film transistors using solution processing technique

Science.gov (United States)

Liau, Leo Chau-Kuang; Lin, Yun-Guo

2015-01-01

Ceramic-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect thin film transistors (TFTs), which were assembled by ZnO and TiO2 heterojunction films coated using solution processing technique, were fabricated and characterized. The fabrication of the device began with the preparation of ZnO and TiO2 films by spin coating. The ZnO and TiO2 films that were stacked together and annealed at 450 °C were characterized as a p-n junction diode. Two types of the devices, p-channel and n-channel TFTs, were produced using different assemblies of ZnO and TiO2 films. Results show that the p-channel TFTs (p-TFTs) and n-channel TFTs (n-TFTs) using the assemblies of ZnO and TiO2 films were demonstrated by source-drain current vs. drain voltage (IDS-VDS) measurements. Several electronic properties of the p- and n- TFTs, such as threshold voltage (Vth), on-off ratio, channel mobility, and subthreshold swing (SS), were determined by current-voltage (I-V) data analysis. The ZnO/TiO2-based TFTs can be produced using solution processing technique and an assembly approach.

Appraisal on Textured Grain Growth and Photoconductivity of ZnO Thin Film SILAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepu Thomas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ZnO thin films were prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR method. The textured grain growth along c-axis in pure ZnO thin films and doped with Sn was studied. The structural analysis of the thin films was done by X-ray diffraction and surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Textured grain growth of the samples was measured by comparing the peak intensities. Textured grain growth and photo current in ZnO thin films were found to be enhanced by doping with Sn. ZnO thin film having good crystallinity with preferential (002 orientation is a semiconductor with photonic properties of potential benefit to biophotonics. From energy dispersive X-ray analysis, it is inferred that oxygen vacancy creation is responsible for the enhanced textured grain growth in ZnO thin films.

Electrical characteristics and density of states of thin-film transistors based on sol-gel derived ZnO channel layers with different annealing temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S.; Mirkhani, V.; Yapabandara, K.; Cheng, R.; Hernandez, G.; Khanal, M. P.; Sultan, M. S.; Uprety, S.; Shen, L.; Zou, S.; Xu, P.; Ellis, C. D.; Sellers, J. A.; Hamilton, M. C.; Niu, G.; Sk, M. H.; Park, M.

2018-04-01

We report on the fabrication and electrical characterization of bottom gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on a sol-gel derived ZnO channel layer. The effect of annealing of ZnO active channel layers on the electrical characteristics of the ZnO TFTs was systematically investigated. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicate that the crystal quality of the ZnO improves with increasing annealing temperature. Both the device turn-on voltage (Von) and threshold voltage (VT) shift to a positive voltage with increasing annealing temperature. As the annealing temperature is increased, both the subthreshold slope and the interfacial defect density (Dit) decrease. The field effect mobility (μFET) increases with annealing temperature, peaking at 800 °C and decreases upon further temperature increase. An improvement in transfer and output characteristics was observed with increasing annealing temperature. However, when the annealing temperature reaches 900 °C, the TFTs demonstrate a large degradation in both transfer and output characteristics, which is possibly produced by non-continuous coverage of the film. By using the temperature-dependent field effect measurements, the localized sub-gap density of states (DOSs) for ZnO TFTs with different annealing temperatures were determined. The DOSs for the subthreshold regime decrease with increasing annealing temperature from 600 °C to 800 °C and no substantial change was observed with further temperature increase to 900 °C.

Two different mechanisms on UV emission enhancement in Ag-doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Linhua; Zheng, Gaige; Zhao, Lilong; Pei, Shixin

2015-01-01

Ag-doped ZnO thin films were prepared by a sol–gel method. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis and photoluminescence spectra. The results show that the Ag in the ZnO thin films annealed at 500 °C for 1 h substitutes for Zn and exists in the form of Ag + ion (Ag Zn ) while the Ag in the ZnO thin films without a post-annealing mainly exists in the form of simple substance (Ag 0 ). The incorporation of Ag indeed can improve the ultraviolet emission of ZnO thin films and suppress the visible emissions at the same time. However, the mechanisms on the ultraviolet emission enhancement in the annealed and unannealed Ag-doped ZnO thin films are very different. As for the post-annealed Ag-doped ZnO thin films, the UV emission enhancement maybe mainly results from more electron–hole pairs (excitons) due to Ag-doping while for the unannealed Ag-doped ZnO thin films; the UV emission enhancement is attributed to the resonant coupling between exciton emission in ZnO and localized surface plasmon in Ag nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Ag-doped ZnO thin films have been prepared by the sol–gel method. • Ag-doping can enhance ultraviolet emission of ZnO thin films and depress the visible emissions at the same time. • There are two different mechanisms on UV emission enhancement in Ag-doped ZnO thin films. • The UV emission enhancement from the resonant coupling between excitonic emissions and localized surface plasmon in Ag nanoparticle is very attractive

Transient behaviors of ZnO thin films on a transparent, flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yong Jun [Department of Nano-Physics, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnamdaero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 461-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Ho Seok [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, 5-1 Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Noh, Jin-Seo, E-mail: jinseonoh@gachon.ac.kr [Department of Nano-Physics, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnamdaero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 461-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-31

Thickness-dependent electrical, structural, and optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates have been investigated in the very thin thickness range of 20 to 120 nm. In this thickness range, the electrical resistance of ZnO film increased with an increase in film thickness. This unusual transition behavior was explained in terms of structural evolution from Zn-phase-incorporating non-crystalline ZnO to hexagonal-structured ZnO. A critical thickness for the full development of hexagonal ZnO crystal was estimated at approximately 80 nm in this study. ZnO thin films on PET substrates exhibit a high optical transmittance of > 70% and good endurance to bending cycles over the measured thickness range. The results of this study indicate that a trade-off should be sought between structural, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties for practical applications of very thin ZnO films on organic substrates. - Highlights: • Very thin ZnO films were sputter-deposited on the PET substrate. • The ZnO film resistance increases with an increase in film thickness until saturation. • Hexagonal crystal structures gradually develop with increasing film thickness. • A Zn phase appears in a 20-nm-thick ZnO film. • ZnO films show high optical transmittance of > 80% and good endurance to bending.

Transient behaviors of ZnO thin films on a transparent, flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Jun; Lee, Ho Seok; Noh, Jin-Seo

2016-01-01

Thickness-dependent electrical, structural, and optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates have been investigated in the very thin thickness range of 20 to 120 nm. In this thickness range, the electrical resistance of ZnO film increased with an increase in film thickness. This unusual transition behavior was explained in terms of structural evolution from Zn-phase-incorporating non-crystalline ZnO to hexagonal-structured ZnO. A critical thickness for the full development of hexagonal ZnO crystal was estimated at approximately 80 nm in this study. ZnO thin films on PET substrates exhibit a high optical transmittance of > 70% and good endurance to bending cycles over the measured thickness range. The results of this study indicate that a trade-off should be sought between structural, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties for practical applications of very thin ZnO films on organic substrates. - Highlights: • Very thin ZnO films were sputter-deposited on the PET substrate. • The ZnO film resistance increases with an increase in film thickness until saturation. • Hexagonal crystal structures gradually develop with increasing film thickness. • A Zn phase appears in a 20-nm-thick ZnO film. • ZnO films show high optical transmittance of > 80% and good endurance to bending.

Transport physics and device modeling of zinc oxide thin-film transistors. Pt. II: Contact Resistance in Short Channel Devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torricelli, F.; Meijboom, J.R.; Smits, E.; Tripathi, A.K.; Gelinck, G.H.; Colalongo, L.; Kovacs-Vajna, Z.M.; Leeuw, D. de; Cantatore, E.

2011-01-01

Abstract—Short-channel zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are investigated in a wide range of temperatures and bias conditions. Scaling down the channel length, the TFT performance is seriously affected by contact resistances, which depend on gate voltage and temperature. To account for

Transport physics and device modeling of zinc oxide thin film transistors - part II : contact resistance in short channel devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torricelli, F.; Smits, E.C.P.; Meijboom, J.R.; Tripathi, A.K.; Gelinck, G.H.; Colalongo, L.; Kovacs-Vajna, Z.M.; Cantatore, E.

2011-01-01

Short-channel zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are investigated in a wide range of temperatures and bias conditions. Scaling down the channel length, the TFT performance is seriously affected by contact resistances, which depend on gate voltage and temperature. To account for the

Piezoelectric Response Evaluation of ZnO Thin Film Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Da-Long

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The most important parameter of piezoelectric materials is piezoelectric coefficient (d33. In this study, the piezoelectric ZnO thin films were deposited on the SiNx/Si substrate. The 4 inches substrate is diced into 8 cm× 8 cm piece. During the deposition process, a zinc target (99.999 wt% of 2 inches diameter was used. The vertical distance between the target and the substrate holder was fixed at 5 cm. The piezoelectric response of zinc oxide (ZnO thin films were obtained by using a direct measurement system. The system adopts a mini impact tip to generate an impulsive force and read out the piezoelectric signals immediately. Experimentally, a servo motor is used to produce a fixed quantity of force, for giving an impact against to the piezoelectric film. The ZnO thin films were deposited using the reactive radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering method. The electric charges should be generated because of the material’s extrusion. This phenomenon was investigated through the oscilloscope by one shot trigger. It was apparent that all ZnO films exhibit piezoelectric responses evaluated by our measurement system, however, its exhibit a significant discrepancy. The piezoelectric responses of ZnO thin film at various deposition positions were measured and the crystal structures of the sputtering pressure were also discussed. The crystalline characteristics of ZnO thin films are investigated through the XRD and SEM. The results show the ZnO thin film exhibits good crystalline pattern and surface morphology with controlled sputtering condition. The ZnO thin films sputtered using 2 inches target present various piezoelectric responses. With the exactly related position, a best piezoelectric response of ZnO thin film can be achieved.

P-type thin films transistors with solution-deposited lead sulfide films as semiconductor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrillo-Castillo, A.; Salas-Villasenor, A.; Mejia, I. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Aguirre-Tostado, S. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, S. C. Alianza Norte 202, Parque de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, C.P. 666000 (Mexico); Gnade, B.E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States); Quevedo-Lopez, M.A., E-mail: mxq071000@utdallas.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas. 800 West Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75083 (United States)

2012-01-31

In this paper we demonstrate p-type thin film transistors fabricated with lead sulfide (PbS) as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition methods. Crystallinity and morphology of the resulting PbS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Devices were fabricated using photolithographic processes in a bottom gate configuration with Au as source and drain top contacts. Field effect mobility for as-fabricated devices was {approx} 0.09 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1} whereas the mobility for devices annealed at 150 Degree-Sign C/h in forming gas increased up to {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Besides the thermal annealing, the entire fabrications process was maintained below 100 Degree-Sign C. The electrical performance of the PbS-thin film transistors was studied before and after the 150 Degree-Sign C anneal as well as a function of the PbS active layer thicknesses. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thin film transistors with PbS as semiconductor deposited by chemical bath deposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photolithography-based thin film transistors with PbS films at low temperatures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron mobility for anneal-PbS devices of {approx} 0.14 cm{sup 2} V{sup -1} s{sup -1}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Highest mobility reported in thin film transistors with PbS as the semiconductor.

A high power ZnO thin film piezoelectric generator

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Weiwei; Li, Tao; Li, Yutong; Qiu, Junwen; Ma, Xianjun; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Hu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Wei

2016-02-01

A highly efficient and large area piezoelectric ZnO thin film nanogenerator (NG) was fabricated. The ZnO thin film was deposited onto a Si substrate by pulsed laser ablation at a substrate temperature of 500 °C. The deposited ZnO film exhibited a preferred c-axis orientation and a high piezoelectric value of 49.7 pm/V characterized using Piezoelectric Force Microscopy (PFM). Thin films of ZnO were patterned into rectangular power sources with dimensions of 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 with metallic top and bottom electrodes constructed via conventional semiconductor lithographic patterning processes. The NG units were subjected to periodic bending/unbending motions produced by mechanical impingement at a fixed frequency of 100 Hz at a pressure of 0.4 kg/cm2. The output electrical voltage, current density, and power density generated by one ZnO NG were recorded. Values of ∼95 mV, 35 μA cm-2 and 5.1 mW cm-2 were recorded. The level of power density is typical to that produced by a PZT NG on a flexible substrate. Higher energy NG sources can be easily created by adding more power units either in parallel or in series. The thin film ZnO NG technique is highly adaptable with current semiconductor processes, and as such, is easily integrated with signal collecting circuits that are compatible with mass production. A typical application would be using the power harvested from irregular human foot motions to either to operate blue LEDs directly or to drive a sensor network node in mille-power level without any external electric source and circuits.

Hydrogen absorption in thin ZnO films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melikhova, O.; Čížek, J.; Lukáč, F.; Vlček, M.; Novotný, M.; Bulíř, J.; Lančok, J.; Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.; Connolly, J.; McCarthy, E.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Mosnier, J.-P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Thin ZnO films and high quality ZnO crystal were electrochemically doped with hydrogen. ► Hydrogen absorbed in ZnO causes plastic deformation both in ZnO crystal and thin films. ► In ZnO crystal a sub-surface region with very high density of defects was formed. ► Moreover, plastic deformation causes specific surface modification of ZnO crystal. ► In ZnO films hydrogen-induced plastic deformation introduced defects in the whole film. -- Abstract: ZnO films with thickness of ∼80 nm were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on MgO (1 0 0) single crystal and amorphous fused silica (FS) substrates. Structural studies of ZnO films and a high quality reference ZnO single crystal were performed by slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS). It was found that ZnO films exhibit significantly higher density of defects than the reference ZnO crystal. Moreover, the ZnO film deposited on MgO substrate exhibits higher concentration of defects than the film deposited on amorphous FS substrate most probably due to a dense network of misfit dislocations. The ZnO films and the reference ZnO crystal were subsequently loaded with hydrogen by electrochemical cathodic charging. SPIS characterizations revealed that absorbed hydrogen introduces new defects into ZnO

Hydrogen absorption in thin ZnO films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melikhova, O., E-mail: oksivmel@yahoo.com [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, CZ-180 00 Praha 8 (Czech Republic); Čížek, J.; Lukáč, F.; Vlček, M. [Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, CZ-180 00 Praha 8 (Czech Republic); Novotný, M.; Bulíř, J.; Lančok, J. [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Anwand, W.; Brauer, G. [Institut für Strahlenphysik, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, PO Box 510 119, D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Connolly, J.; McCarthy, E.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Mosnier, J.-P. [National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology, School of Physical Sciences, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)

2013-12-15

Highlights: ► Thin ZnO films and high quality ZnO crystal were electrochemically doped with hydrogen. ► Hydrogen absorbed in ZnO causes plastic deformation both in ZnO crystal and thin films. ► In ZnO crystal a sub-surface region with very high density of defects was formed. ► Moreover, plastic deformation causes specific surface modification of ZnO crystal. ► In ZnO films hydrogen-induced plastic deformation introduced defects in the whole film. -- Abstract: ZnO films with thickness of ∼80 nm were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on MgO (1 0 0) single crystal and amorphous fused silica (FS) substrates. Structural studies of ZnO films and a high quality reference ZnO single crystal were performed by slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS). It was found that ZnO films exhibit significantly higher density of defects than the reference ZnO crystal. Moreover, the ZnO film deposited on MgO substrate exhibits higher concentration of defects than the film deposited on amorphous FS substrate most probably due to a dense network of misfit dislocations. The ZnO films and the reference ZnO crystal were subsequently loaded with hydrogen by electrochemical cathodic charging. SPIS characterizations revealed that absorbed hydrogen introduces new defects into ZnO.

Improvement of physical properties of ZnO thin films by tellurium doping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sönmezoğlu, Savaş, E-mail: svssonmezoglu@kmu.edu.tr; Akman, Erdi

2014-11-01

Highlights: • We report the synthesis of tellurium-doped zinc oxide (Te–ZnO) thin films using sol–gel method. • Highly c-axis oriented Te-doped ZnO thin films were grown on FTO glasses as substrate. • 1.5% Te-doping ratio could improve the physical properties of ZnO thin films. - Abstract: This investigation addressed the structural, optical and morphological properties of tellurium incorporated zinc oxide (Te–ZnO) thin films. The obtained results indicated that Te-doped ZnO thin films exhibit an enhancement of band gap energy and crystallinity compared with non-doped films. The optical transmission spectra revealed a shift in the absorption edge toward lower wavelengths. X-ray diffraction measurement demonstrated that the film was crystallized in the hexagonal (wurtzite) phase and presented a preferential orientation along the c-axis. The XRD obtained patterns indicate that the crystallite size of the thin films, ranging from 23.9 to 49.1 nm, changed with the Te doping level. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results demonstrated that the grain size and surface roughness of the thin films increased as the Te concentration increased. Most significantly, we demonstrate that it is possible to control the structural, optical and morphological properties of ZnO thin films with the isoelectronic Te-incorporation level.

TiN/Al2O3/ZnO gate stack engineering for top-gate thin film transistors by combination of post oxidation and annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Kimihiko; Matsui, Hiroaki; Tabata, Hitoshi; Takenaka, Mitsuru; Takagi, Shinichi

2018-04-01

Control of fabrication processes for a gate stack structure with a ZnO thin channel layer and an Al2O3 gate insulator has been examined for enhancing the performance of a top-gate ZnO thin film transistor (TFT). The Al2O3/ZnO interface and the ZnO layer are defective just after the Al2O3 layer formation by atomic layer deposition. Post treatments such as plasma oxidation, annealing after the Al2O3 deposition, and gate metal formation (PMA) are promising to improve the interfacial and channel layer qualities drastically. Post-plasma oxidation effectively reduces the interfacial defect density and eliminates Fermi level pinning at the Al2O3/ZnO interface, which is essential for improving the cut-off of the drain current of TFTs. A thermal effect of post-Al2O3 deposition annealing at 350 °C can improve the crystalline quality of the ZnO layer, enhancing the mobility. On the other hand, impacts of post-Al2O3 deposition annealing and PMA need to be optimized because the annealing can also accompany the increase in the shallow-level defect density and the resulting electron concentration, in addition to the reduction in the deep-level defect density. The development of the interfacial control technique has realized the excellent TFT performance with a large ON/OFF ratio, steep subthreshold characteristics, and high field-effect mobility.

Crystallinity Improvement of ZnO Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Ying Ting

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The material and optical properties of ZnO thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the ZnO layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality ZnO thin film growth. A GaN buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the ZnO thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the GaN layer. The use of MgO as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the ZnO thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality ZnO thin film growth.

Single-Crystal Mesoporous ZnO Thin Films Composed of Nanowalls

KAUST Repository

Wang, Xudong; Ding, Yong; Li, Zhou; Song, Jinhui; Wang, Zhong Lin

2009-01-01

This paper presents a controlled, large scale fabrication of mesoporous ZnO thin films. The entire ZnO mesoporous film is one piece of a single crystal, while high porosity made of nanowalls is present. The growth mechanism was proposed

Laser-Printed Organic Thin-Film Transistors

KAUST Repository

Diemer, Peter J.; Harper, Angela F.; Niazi, Muhammad Rizwan; Petty, Anthony J.; Anthony, John E.; Amassian, Aram; Jurchescu, Oana D.

2017-01-01

their incorporation in large-scale manufacturing processes. Here, the first ever organic thin-film transistor fabricated with an electrophotographic laser printing process using a standard office laser printer is reported. This completely solvent-free additive

Development of transparent thin film transistors on PES polymer substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Eui-Jung; Jung, Jin-Woo; Ko, Kyung-Nam; Song, Young-Wook; Nam, Hyoung; Cho, Nam-Ihn

2010-01-01

In this study, we demonstrate ZnO-based transparent thin film transistors (TTFT's) implemented on polyethersulfone (PES) polymer substrates. For the developed TTFT's, radio-frequency magnetron sputter techniques were used to deposit Al-doped ZnO (AZO) at zero oxygen partial pressures for the source, the drain, and the gate-contact electrodes, undoped ZnO at low oxygen partial pressures for the active p-type layer, and SiO 2 for the gate dielectric. The TTFT's were processed at room temperature (RT), except for a 100 .deg. C sputtering step to deposit the AZO source, drain, and gate-contact electrodes. The devices have bottom-gate structures with top contacts, are optically transparent, and operate in an enhancement mode with a threshold voltage of +13 V, a mobility of 0.1 cm 2 /Vs, an on-off ratio of about 0.5 x 10 3 and, a sub-threshold slope of 4.1 V/decade.

Amorphous Zinc Oxide Integrated Wavy Channel Thin Film Transistor Based High Performance Digital Circuits

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir

2015-12-04

High performance thin film transistor (TFT) can be a great driving force for display, sensor/actuator, integrated electronics, and distributed computation for Internet of Everything applications. While semiconducting oxides like zinc oxide (ZnO) present promising opportunity in that regard, still wide area of improvement exists to increase the performance further. Here, we show a wavy channel (WC) architecture for ZnO integrated TFT which increases transistor width without chip area penalty, enabling high performance in material agnostic way. We further demonstrate digital logic NAND circuit using the WC architecture and compare it to the conventional planar architecture. The WC architecture circuits have shown 2× higher peak-to-peak output voltage for the same input voltage. They also have 3× lower high-to-low propagation delay times, respectively, when compared to the planar architecture. The performance enhancement is attributed to both extra device width and enhanced field effect mobility due to higher gate field electrostatics control.

Polyelectrolyte-assisted preparation and characterization of nanostructured ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Shijun

2005-05-15

The present work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured ZnO thin films onto silicon wafers modified by self-assembled-monolayers via chemical bath deposition. Two precursor solutions were designed and used for the film deposition, in which two different polymers were introduced respectively to control the growth of the ZnO colloidal particles in solution. ZnO films were deposited from an aqueous solution containing zinc salt and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) in the presence of a graft-copolymer (P (MAA{sub 0.50}-co(MAA-EO{sub 20}){sub 0.50}){sub 70}). A film-formation-diagram was established based on the results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), which describes the influence of the concentration of HMTA and copolymer on the ZnO film formation. According to the film morphology, film formation can be classified into three categories: (a) island-like films, (b) uniform films and (c) canyon-like films. The ZnO films annealed at temperatures of 450 C, 500 C, 600 C and 700 C were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After annealing, the films are polycrystalline ZnO with wurtzite structure. XRD measurements indicate that with increasing annealing temperature, the average grain size increases accordingly and the crystallinity of the films is improved. Upon heating to 600 C, the ZnO films exhibit preferred orientation with c-axis normal to substrate, whereas the films annealed at 700 C even show a more explicit texture. By annealing at temperatures above 600 C the ZnO film reacts with the substrate to form an interfacial layer of Zn{sub 2}SiO{sub 4}, which grows thicker at elevated annealing temperatures. The ZnO films annealed at 600 C and 700 C show strong UV emission. Another non-aqueous solution system for ZnO thin film deposition was established, in which 2- propanol was used as a solvent and Zn(CH3COO){sub 2}.2H{sub 2}O as well as NaOH as reactants

Preparation of Aligned ZnO Nanorod Arrays on Sn-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Sonicated Sol-Gel Immersion Fabricated for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Saurdi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aligned ZnO Nanorod arrays are deposited on the Sn-doped ZnO thin film via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Sn-doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Results show that the Sn-doped ZnO thin films with small grain size (~20 nm, high average transmittance (96% in visible region, and good resistivity 7.7 × 102 Ω·cm are obtained for 2 at.% Sn doping concentration. The aligned ZnO nanorod arrays with large surface area were also obtained for 2 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film. They were grown on sol-gel derived Sn-doped ZnO thin film, which acts as a seed layer, via sonicated sol-gel immersion method. The grown aligned ZnO nanorod arrays show high transmittance at visible region. The fabricated dye-sensitised solar cell based on the 2.0 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin film with aligned ZnO nanorod arrays exhibits improved current density, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and conversion efficiency compared with the undoped ZnO and 1 at.% Sn-doped ZnO thin films.

Organic Thin-Film Transistor (OTFT-Based Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Elkington

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Organic thin film transistors have been a popular research topic in recent decades and have found applications from flexible displays to disposable sensors. In this review, we present an overview of some notable articles reporting sensing applications for organic transistors with a focus on the most recent publications. In particular, we concentrate on three main types of organic transistor-based sensors: biosensors, pressure sensors and “e-nose”/vapour sensors.

Controllable film densification and interface flatness for high-performance amorphous indium oxide based thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ou-Yang, Wei, E-mail: OUYANG.Wei@nims.go.jp, E-mail: TSUKAGOSHI.Kazuhito@nims.go.jp; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Gao, Xu; Lin, Meng-Fang; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito, E-mail: OUYANG.Wei@nims.go.jp, E-mail: TSUKAGOSHI.Kazuhito@nims.go.jp [International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectronics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Nabatame, Toshihide [MANA Foundry and MANA Advanced Device Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

2014-10-20

To avoid the problem of air sensitive and wet-etched Zn and/or Ga contained amorphous oxide transistors, we propose an alternative amorphous semiconductor of indium silicon tungsten oxide as the channel material for thin film transistors. In this study, we employ the material to reveal the relation between the active thin film and the transistor performance with aid of x-ray reflectivity study. By adjusting the pre-annealing temperature, we find that the film densification and interface flatness between the film and gate insulator are crucial for achieving controllable high-performance transistors. The material and findings in the study are believed helpful for realizing controllable high-performance stable transistors.

Influence of surface defects in ZnO thin films on its biosensing response characteristic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India)

2011-09-15

Highly c-axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering under varying processing pressure (20-50 mT) in a reactive gas mixture of argon and oxygen were studied for biosensing application. The as-deposited ZnO thin films were in a state of compressive stress having defects related to interstitial Zn and antisite oxygen. Glucose oxidase has been chosen as the model enzyme in the present study and was immobilized on the surface of ZnO thin films deposited on indium tin oxide coated Corning Glass substrate. The studies reveal a correlation between the biosensing characteristic and the presence of defects in the ZnO films. The ZnO films deposited under high pressure (50 mT) are found to be more sensitive for biosensing application due to availability of more surface area for effective immobilization of biomolecules and exhibits a suitable microenvironment with good electron transfer characteristic. The obtained results highlight the importance of desired microstate besides availability of suitable native defects in the ZnO thin film for exhibiting enhanced biosensing response.

Influence of surface defects in ZnO thin films on its biosensing response characteristic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay

2011-01-01

Highly c-axis oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering under varying processing pressure (20-50 mT) in a reactive gas mixture of argon and oxygen were studied for biosensing application. The as-deposited ZnO thin films were in a state of compressive stress having defects related to interstitial Zn and antisite oxygen. Glucose oxidase has been chosen as the model enzyme in the present study and was immobilized on the surface of ZnO thin films deposited on indium tin oxide coated Corning Glass substrate. The studies reveal a correlation between the biosensing characteristic and the presence of defects in the ZnO films. The ZnO films deposited under high pressure (50 mT) are found to be more sensitive for biosensing application due to availability of more surface area for effective immobilization of biomolecules and exhibits a suitable microenvironment with good electron transfer characteristic. The obtained results highlight the importance of desired microstate besides availability of suitable native defects in the ZnO thin film for exhibiting enhanced biosensing response.

Pulsed laser deposited Al-doped ZnO thin films for optical applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurpreet Kaur

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Highly transparent and conducting Al-doped ZnO (Al:ZnO thin films were grown on glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique. The profound effect of film thickness on the structural, optical and electrical properties of Al:ZnO thin films was observed. The X-ray diffraction depicts c-axis, plane (002 oriented thin films with hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. Al-doping in ZnO introduces a compressive stress in the films which increase with the film thickness. AFM images reveal the columnar grain formation with low surface roughness. The versatile optical properties of Al:ZnO thin films are important for applications such as transparent electromagnetic interference (EMI shielding materials and solar cells. The obtained optical band gap (3.2–3.08 eV was found to be less than pure ZnO (3.37 eV films. The lowering in the band gap in Al:ZnO thin films could be attributed to band edge bending phenomena. The photoluminescence spectra gives sharp visible emission peaks, enables Al:ZnO thin films for light emitting devices (LEDs applications. The current–voltage (I–V measurements show the ohmic behavior of the films with resistivity (ρ~10−3 Ω cm.

Sub-second photonic processing of solution-deposited single layer and heterojunction metal oxide thin-film transistors using a high-power xenon flash lamp

KAUST Repository

Tetzner, Kornelius; Lin, Yen-Hung; Regoutz, Anna; Seitkhan, Akmaral; Payne, David J.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.

2017-01-01

We report the fabrication of solution-processed In2O3 and In2O3/ZnO heterojunction thin-film transistors (TFTs) where the precursor materials were converted to their semiconducting state using high power light pulses generated by a xenon flash lamp

Preparation and characterization of ALD deposited ZnO thin films studied for gas sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyadjiev, S.I., E-mail: boiajiev@gmail.com [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Georgieva, V. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Yordanov, R. [Department of Microelectronics, Technical University of Sofia, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria); Raicheva, Z. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Szilágyi, I.M. [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary)

2016-11-30

Highlights: • For the first time the gas sensing towards NO{sub 2} of very thin ALD ZnO films is studied. • The very thin ALD ZnO films showed excellent sensitivity to NO{sub 2} at room temperature. • These very thin film ZnO-based QCM sensors very well register even low concentrations. • The sensors have fully reversible sorption and are able to be recovered in short time. • Described fast and cost-effective ALD deposition of ZnO thin films for QCM gas sensor. - Abstract: Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The gas sensing of the ZnO films to NO{sub 2} was tested in the concentration interval between 10 and 5000 ppm. On the basis of registered frequency change of the QCM, for each concentration the sorbed mass was calculated. Further characterization of the films was carried out by various techniques, i.e. by SEM-EDS, XRD, ellipsometry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Although being very thin, the films were gas sensitive to NO{sub 2} already at room temperature and could register very well as low concentrations as 100 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible. Our results for very thin ALD ZnO films show that the described fast, simple and cost-effective technology could be implemented for producing gas sensors working at room temperature and being capable to detect in real time low concentrations of NO{sub 2}.

In and Ga Codoped ZnO Film as a Front Electrode for Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duy Phong Pham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Doped ZnO thin films have attracted much attention in the research community as front-contact transparent conducting electrodes in thin film silicon solar cells. The prerequisite in both low resistivity and high transmittance in visible and near-infrared region for hydrogenated microcrystalline or amorphous/microcrystalline tandem thin film silicon solar cells has promoted further improvements of this material. In this work, we propose the combination of major Ga and minor In impurities codoped in ZnO film (IGZO to improve the film optoelectronic properties. A wide range of Ga and In contents in sputtering targets was explored to find optimum optical and electrical properties of deposited films. The results show that an appropriate combination of In and Ga atoms in ZnO material, followed by in-air thermal annealing process, can enhance the crystallization, conductivity, and transmittance of IGZO thin films, which can be well used as front-contact electrodes in thin film silicon solar cells.

Controllable growth and characterization of highly aligned ZnO nanocolumnar thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onuk, Zuhal [Department of Physics, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100 (Turkey); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716 (United States); Rujisamphan, Nopporn [Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Graduate Program, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, 10140, Bangkok (Thailand); Theoretical and Computational Science Center (TaCS), Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Murray, Roy [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716 (United States); Bah, Mohamed [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716 (United States); Tomakin, Murat [Department of Physics, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, 53100 (Turkey); Shah, S.Ismat, E-mail: ismat@udel.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716 (United States)

2017-02-28

Graphical abstract: Scanning electron micrographs of the top view surfaces (left column) and cross sections of sputtered ZnO thin films prepared at various Ar:O{sub 2} ratios: (a) and (b) 10:0, (c) and (d) 7.5:2.5, (e) and (f) 5:5, (g) and (h) 2.5:7.5. - Highlights: • Nanocolumnar ZnO films were prepared by controlling the argon-oxygen sputtering gas ratio. • Oxygen partial pressure affects the band gap alignment of the ZnO films. • Optical transmission spectroscopy and XPS were used to study band gap shifts. - Abstract: We investigated the effects of growth conditions during magnetron sputtering on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of nanostructured ZnO thin films. Undoped ZnO thin films are deposited onto p-type Si (100) and corning 7059 glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering using a ZnO target in combination with various Ar-O{sub 2} sputtering gas mixtures at room temperature. The effect of the partial pressure of oxygen on the morphology of ZnO thin film structure and band alignment were investigated. Thickness, and therefore the growth rate of the samples measured from the cross-sectional SEM micrographs, is found to be strongly correlated with the oxygen partial pressure in the sputtering chamber. The optical transmittance spectrometry results show that the absorption edge shifts towards the longer wavelength at higher oxygen partial pressure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) used for determining the surface chemical structure and valence band offsets show that conduction band can be controlled by changing the sputtering atmosphere.

Properties of antimony doped ZnO thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sadananda Kumar, N., E-mail: sadanthara@gmail.com; Bangera, Kasturi V.; Shivakumar, G. K. [National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Thin Films Laboratory, Department of Physics (India)

2015-07-15

Antimony (Sb) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on the glass substrate at 450°C using spray pyrolysis technique. Effect of Sb doping on surface morphology structural, optical and electrical properties were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that both the undoped and doped ZnO thin films are polycrystalline in nature with (101) preferred orientation. SEM analysis showed a change in surface morphology of Sb doped ZnO thin films. Doping results in a marked increase in conductivity without affecting the transmittance of the films. ZnO films prepared with 3 at % Sb shows the lowest resistivity of 0.185 Ohm cm with a Hall mobility of 54.05 cm{sup 2} V{sup –1} s{sup –1}, and a hole concentration of 6.25 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup –3}.

Correlation between structural and electrical properties of ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asadov, A.; Gao, W.; Li, Z.; Lee, J.; Hodgson, M.

2005-01-01

Thin ZnO films were deposited by radio frequency (r.f.) and direct current (d.c.) magnetron sputtering techniques onto glass substrates. Microstructural and electrical properties of ZnO films were studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and resistivity measurements. It was found that the size of the crystallites in the d.c. deposited films increased with increasing film thickness, while the crystallite size of r.f. deposited films remained unchanged. The d.c. deposited grains also had much stronger orientation related to the substrate than the r.f. films. XRD data indicated that the thin films with d<350 nm for r.f. and <750 nm for d.c. films have a very high degree of ZnO nonstoichiometry. This agreed well with the conductivity measurements and R(T) behaviour of the films with different resistance R. It was also found that the electrical resistivity of the samples increased exponentially with the thickness of films

Annealing impact on the structural and photoluminescence properties of ZnO thin films on Ag substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Linhua; Zheng, Gaige; Lai, Min; Pei, Shixin

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: The Gaussian fitting indicates that the PL spectra of the ZnO thin films include four emission peaks which are centered at 380, 520, 570 and 610 nm, respectively. The ZnO thin film deposited on an Ag substrate shows a stronger green emission and a weaker UV emission than the ZnO thin film directly deposited on a Si substrate annealed at 400 °C. With the rise of annealing temperature, the visible emission intensity and wavelength are largely changed. Highlights: • ZnO thin films have been prepared on Ag substrates by sol–gel method. • The Ag substrates have a great effect on the photoluminescence of ZnO thin films. • All the films exhibit three visible emission bands including green, yellow and red. • Annealing causes a large change of the visible emission intensity and wavelength. -- Abstract: In this work, ZnO thin films were prepared by sol–gel method on Ag substrates. The structural and optical properties of the films annealed at different temperatures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence, respectively. The results of XRD showed that all the ZnO thin films had a wurtzite phase and were preferentially oriented along the c-axis direction. The sample annealed at 400 °C exhibited better crystalline quality than the ZnO thin film directly deposited on a Si substrate annealed at the same temperature. The photoluminescence spectra showed that ZnO thin films had an ultraviolet emission band and three visible emission bands including green, yellow and red band. The sample annealed at 400 °C exhibited a stronger green emission and a weaker ultraviolet emission compared with the ZnO thin film deposited on a Si substrate annealed at the same temperature. The difference of the luminescence properties was thought to be originated from different substrates. As for the ZnO films on Ag substrates, the increase of annealing temperature led to different changes of visible emissions

Photocatalytic efficiency of reusable ZnO thin films deposited by sputtering technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahumada-Lazo, R.; Torres-Martínez, L.M.; Ruíz-Gómez, M.A.; Vega-Becerra, O.E.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Decolorization of Orange G dye using highly c-axis-oriented ZnO thin films. • The flake-shaped film shows superior and stable photoactivity at a wide range of pH. • The highest photodecolorization was achieved at pH of 7. • The exposure of (101) and (100) facets enhanced the photoactivity. • ZnO thin films exhibit a promising performance as recyclable photocatalysts. - Abstract: The photocatalytic activity of ZnO thin films with different physicochemical characteristics deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on glass substrate was tested for the decolorization of orange G dye aqueous solution (OG). The crystalline phase, surface morphology, surface roughness and the optical properties of these ZnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), respectively. The dye photodecolorization process was studied at acid, neutral and basic pH media under UV irradiation of 365 nm. Results showed that ZnO films grow with an orientation along the c-axis of the substrate and exhibit a wurtzite crystal structure with a (002) preferential crystalline orientation. A clear relationship between surface morphology and photocatalytic activity was observed for ZnO films. Additionally, the recycling photocatalytic abilities of the films were also evaluated. A promising photocatalytic performance has been found with a very low variation of the decolorization degree after five consecutive cycles at a wide range of pH media

Photocatalytic efficiency of reusable ZnO thin films deposited by sputtering technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahumada-Lazo, R.; Torres-Martínez, L.M. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66450, México (Mexico); Ruíz-Gómez, M.A. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad S/N Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66450, México (Mexico); Departmento de Física Aplicada, CINVESTAV-IPN, Antigua Carretera a Progreso km 6, Mérida, Yucatán 97310, México (Mexico); Vega-Becerra, O.E. [Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados S.C, Alianza norte 202, Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, C.P. 66600 Apodaca Nuevo León, México (Mexico); and others

2014-12-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Decolorization of Orange G dye using highly c-axis-oriented ZnO thin films. • The flake-shaped film shows superior and stable photoactivity at a wide range of pH. • The highest photodecolorization was achieved at pH of 7. • The exposure of (101) and (100) facets enhanced the photoactivity. • ZnO thin films exhibit a promising performance as recyclable photocatalysts. - Abstract: The photocatalytic activity of ZnO thin films with different physicochemical characteristics deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on glass substrate was tested for the decolorization of orange G dye aqueous solution (OG). The crystalline phase, surface morphology, surface roughness and the optical properties of these ZnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), respectively. The dye photodecolorization process was studied at acid, neutral and basic pH media under UV irradiation of 365 nm. Results showed that ZnO films grow with an orientation along the c-axis of the substrate and exhibit a wurtzite crystal structure with a (002) preferential crystalline orientation. A clear relationship between surface morphology and photocatalytic activity was observed for ZnO films. Additionally, the recycling photocatalytic abilities of the films were also evaluated. A promising photocatalytic performance has been found with a very low variation of the decolorization degree after five consecutive cycles at a wide range of pH media.

Formation of p-type ZnO thin film through co-implantation

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Yao-Teng; Liou, Jhe-Wei; Woon, Wei-Yen

2017-01-01

We present a study on the formation of p-type ZnO thin film through ion implantation. Group V dopants (N, P) with different ionic radii are implanted into chemical vapor deposition grown ZnO thin film on GaN/sapphire substrates prior to thermal activation. It is found that mono-doped ZnO by N+ implantation results in n-type conductivity under thermal activation. Dual-doped ZnO film with a N:P ion implantation dose ratio of 4:1 is found to be p-type under certain thermal activation conditions. Higher p-type activation levels (1019 cm-3) under a wider thermal activation range are found for the N/P dual-doped ZnO film co-implanted by additional oxygen ions. From high resolution x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy it is concluded that the observed p-type conductivities are a result of the promoted formation of PZn-4NO complex defects via the concurrent substitution of nitrogen at oxygen sites and phosphorus at zinc sites. The enhanced solubility and stability of acceptor defects in oxygen co-implanted dual-doped ZnO film are related to the reduction of oxygen vacancy defects at the surface. Our study demonstrates the prospect of the formation of stable p-type ZnO film through co-implantation.

Oxygen vacancy-induced ferromagnetism in un-doped ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Peng; Wang, Weipeng; Liu, Can; Hu, Yang; Li, Zhengcao; Zhang, Zhengjun; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Baoyi; Cao, Xingzhong

2012-02-01

ZnO films became ferromagnetic when defects were introduced by thermal-annealing in flowing argon. This ferromagnetism, as shown by the photoluminescence measurement and positron annihilation analysis, was induced by the singly occupied oxygen vacancy with a saturated magnetization dependent positively on the amount of this vacancy. This study clarified the origin of the ferromagnetism of un-doped ZnO thin films and provides possibly an alternative way to prepare ferromagnetic ZnO films.

Photoluminescence of ZnO thin films deposited at various substrate temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kao, Kuo-Sheng; Shih, Wei-Che; Ye, Wei-Tsuen; Cheng, Da-Long

2016-01-01

This study investigated surface acoustic wave devices with an Al/ZnO/Si structure for use in ultraviolet sensors. ZnO thin films were fabricated using a reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The substrate temperature of ZnO thin films can be varied to obtain highly crystalline properties. The surface morphologies and c-axis preferred orientation of the ZnO thin films were determined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, bright-field images of ZnO crystallization were investigated using a transmission electron microscope. From photoluminescence analysis, four peaks were obtained at 377.8, 384.9, 391.4, and 403.4 nm. Interdigital transducers of an aluminum electrode were fabricated on the ZnO/Si structure by using a direct current sputtering system and photolithography, combined with the lift-off method, thereby obtaining a surface acoustic wave device. Finally, frequency responses were measured using a network analyzer, and an illuminating test was adopted for the ultraviolet sensor, using a wavelength of 355 nm from a light-emitting diode. The sensitivities of the ultraviolet sensor were also discussed. - Highlights: • The ZnO/Si SAW devices exhibit the Rayleigh and Sezawa modes. • The crystalline of ZnO affects the EHP recombination and generation. • The PL spectrum of ZnO shows Gaussian fitting distributions. • The CTD_U_V is influenced by SAW types and ZnO film characteristics.

Photoluminescence of ZnO thin films deposited at various substrate temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kao, Kuo-Sheng [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shih, Wei-Che [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Ye, Wei-Tsuen [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Da-Long, E-mail: dlcheng@stu.edu.tw [Department of Computer and Communication, SHU-TE University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

2016-04-30

This study investigated surface acoustic wave devices with an Al/ZnO/Si structure for use in ultraviolet sensors. ZnO thin films were fabricated using a reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The substrate temperature of ZnO thin films can be varied to obtain highly crystalline properties. The surface morphologies and c-axis preferred orientation of the ZnO thin films were determined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, bright-field images of ZnO crystallization were investigated using a transmission electron microscope. From photoluminescence analysis, four peaks were obtained at 377.8, 384.9, 391.4, and 403.4 nm. Interdigital transducers of an aluminum electrode were fabricated on the ZnO/Si structure by using a direct current sputtering system and photolithography, combined with the lift-off method, thereby obtaining a surface acoustic wave device. Finally, frequency responses were measured using a network analyzer, and an illuminating test was adopted for the ultraviolet sensor, using a wavelength of 355 nm from a light-emitting diode. The sensitivities of the ultraviolet sensor were also discussed. - Highlights: • The ZnO/Si SAW devices exhibit the Rayleigh and Sezawa modes. • The crystalline of ZnO affects the EHP recombination and generation. • The PL spectrum of ZnO shows Gaussian fitting distributions. • The CTD{sub UV} is influenced by SAW types and ZnO film characteristics.

Improved ITO thin films for photovoltaic applications with a thin ZnO layer by sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrero, J.; Guillen, C.

2004-01-01

The improvement of the optical and electrical characteristics of indium tin oxide (ITO) layers is pursued to achieve a higher efficiency in its application as frontal electrical contacts in thin film photovoltaic devices. In order to take advantage of the polycrystalline structure of ZnO films as growth support, the properties of ITO layers prepared at room temperature by sputtering onto bare and ZnO-coated substrates have been analyzed using X-ray diffraction, optical and electrical measurements. It has been found that by inserting a thin ZnO layer, the ITO film resistivity can be reduced as compared to that of a single ITO film with similar optical transmittance. The electrical quality improvement is related to ITO grain growth enhancement onto the polycrystalline ZnO underlayer

DEVICE TECHNOLOGY. Nanomaterials in transistors: From high-performance to thin-film applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Aaron D

2015-08-14

For more than 50 years, silicon transistors have been continuously shrunk to meet the projections of Moore's law but are now reaching fundamental limits on speed and power use. With these limits at hand, nanomaterials offer great promise for improving transistor performance and adding new applications through the coming decades. With different transistors needed in everything from high-performance servers to thin-film display backplanes, it is important to understand the targeted application needs when considering new material options. Here the distinction between high-performance and thin-film transistors is reviewed, along with the benefits and challenges to using nanomaterials in such transistors. In particular, progress on carbon nanotubes, as well as graphene and related materials (including transition metal dichalcogenides and X-enes), outlines the advances and further research needed to enable their use in transistors for high-performance computing, thin films, or completely new technologies such as flexible and transparent devices. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

High-mobility pyrene-based semiconductor for organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyunduck; Lee, Sunyoung; Cho, Nam Sung; Jabbour, Ghassan E; Kwak, Jeonghun; Hwang, Do-Hoon; Lee, Changhee

2013-05-01

Numerous conjugated oligoacenes and polythiophenes are being heavily studied in the search for high-mobility organic semiconductors. Although many researchers have designed fused aromatic compounds as organic semiconductors for organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), pyrene-based organic semiconductors with high mobilities and on-off current ratios have not yet been reported. Here, we introduce a new pyrene-based p-type organic semiconductor showing liquid crystal behavior. The thin film characteristics of this material are investigated by varying the substrate temperature during the deposition and the gate dielectric condition using the surface modification with a self-assembled monolayer, and systematically studied in correlation with the performances of transistor devices with this compound. OTFT fabricated under the optimum deposition conditions of this compound, namely, 1,6-bis(5'-octyl-2,2'-bithiophen-5-yl)pyrene (BOBTP) shows a high-performance transistor behavior with a field-effect mobility of 2.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and an on-off current ratio of 7.6 × 10(6) and enhanced long-term stability compared to the pentacene thin-film transistor.

Improved electrical conduction properties in unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films treated by rapid thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Youngmin; Lee, Choeun; Shim, Eunhee; Jung, Eiwhan; Lee, Jinyong; Kim, Deukyoung; Lee, Sejoon; Fu, Dejun; Yoon, Hyungdo

2011-01-01

The effects of thermal treatments on the electrical conduction properties for the unintentionally doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Despite the decreased carrier density in the annealed ZnO thin films, the conductivity was increased because the contribution of the effective carrier mobility to the conductivity of the unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films is greater than that of the carrier density. The resistivity exponentially decreased with increasing RTA temperature, and this result was confirmed to come from the enhanced effective carrier-mobility, which originated from the increased crystallite size in the annealed ZnO thin films.

Improved electrical conduction properties in unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films treated by rapid thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Youngmin; Lee, Choeun; Shim, Eunhee; Jung, Eiwhan; Lee, Jinyong; Kim, Deukyoung; Lee, Sejoon [Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Fu, Dejun [Wuhan University, Wuhan (China); Yoon, Hyungdo [Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

The effects of thermal treatments on the electrical conduction properties for the unintentionally doped ZnO thin films were investigated. Despite the decreased carrier density in the annealed ZnO thin films, the conductivity was increased because the contribution of the effective carrier mobility to the conductivity of the unintentionally-doped ZnO thin films is greater than that of the carrier density. The resistivity exponentially decreased with increasing RTA temperature, and this result was confirmed to come from the enhanced effective carrier-mobility, which originated from the increased crystallite size in the annealed ZnO thin films.

Third generation biosensing matrix based on Fe-implanted ZnO thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay; Sreenivas, K.; Tan, H. H.; Jagadish, C.

2010-09-01

Third generation biosensor based on Fe-implanted ZnO (Fe-ZnO) thin film has been demonstrated. Implantation of Fe in rf-sputtered ZnO thin film introduces redox center along with shallow donor level and thereby enhance its electron transfer property. Glucose oxidase (GOx), chosen as model enzyme, has been immobilized on the surface of the matrix. Cyclic voltammetry and photometric assay show that the prepared bioelectrode, GOx/Fe-ZnO/ITO/Glass is sensitive to the glucose concentration with enhanced response of 0.326 μA mM-1 cm-2 and low Km of 2.76 mM. The results show promising application of Fe-implanted ZnO thin film as an attractive matrix for third generation biosensing.

Third generation biosensing matrix based on Fe-implanted ZnO thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, Shibu; Gupta, Vinay; Sreenivas, K.; Tan, H. H.; Jagadish, C.

2010-01-01

Third generation biosensor based on Fe-implanted ZnO (Fe-ZnO) thin film has been demonstrated. Implantation of Fe in rf-sputtered ZnO thin film introduces redox center along with shallow donor level and thereby enhance its electron transfer property. Glucose oxidase (GOx), chosen as model enzyme, has been immobilized on the surface of the matrix. Cyclic voltammetry and photometric assay show that the prepared bioelectrode, GOx/Fe-ZnO/ITO/Glass is sensitive to the glucose concentration with enhanced response of 0.326 μA mM -1 cm -2 and low Km of 2.76 mM. The results show promising application of Fe-implanted ZnO thin film as an attractive matrix for third generation biosensing.

Superhydrophobic nanostructured ZnO thin films on aluminum alloy substrates by electrophoretic deposition process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Ying; Sarkar, D.K., E-mail: dsarkar@uqac.ca; Chen, X-Grant

2015-02-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fabrication of superhydrophobic ZnO thin films surfaces by electrophoretic deposition process on aluminum substrates. • Effect of bath temperature on the physical and superhydrophobic properties of thin films. • The water contact angle of 155° ± 3 with roll off property has been observed on the film that was grown at bath temperatures of 50 °C. • The activation energy for electrophoretic deposition of SA-functionalized ZnO nanoparticle is calculated to be 0.50 eV. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic thin films have been fabricated on aluminum alloy substrates by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process using stearic acid (SA) functionalized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles suspension in alcohols at varying bath temperatures. The deposited thin films have been characterized using both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy and it is found that the films contain low surface energy zinc stearate and ZnO nanoparticles. It is also observed that the atomic percentage of Zn and O, roughness and water contact angle of the thin films increase with the increase of the deposited bath temperature. Furthermore, the thin film deposited at 50 °C, having a roughness of 4.54 ± 0.23 μm, shows superhydrophobic properties providing a water contact angle of 155 ± 3° with rolling off properties. Also, the activation energy of electrophoretic deposition of stearic-acid-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles is calculated to be 0.5 eV.

A comparative study of physico-chemical properties of CBD and SILAR grown ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jambure, S.B.; Patil, S.J.; Deshpande, A.R.; Lokhande, C.D., E-mail: l_chandrakant@yahoo.com

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Schematic model indicating ZnO nanorods by CBD (Z{sub 1}) and nanograins by SILAR (Z{sub 2}). - Highlights: • Simple methods for the synthesis of ZnO thin films. • Comparative study of physico-chemical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by CBD and SILAR methods. • CBD outperforms SILAR method. - Abstract: In the present work, nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been successfully deposited onto glass substrates by simple and economical chemical bath deposition (CBD) and successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) methods. These films were further characterized for their structural, optical, surface morphological and wettability properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns for both CBD and SILAR deposited ZnO thin films reveal the highly crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure. From optical studies, band gaps obtained are 2.9 and 3.0 eV for CBD and SILAR deposited thin films, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) patterns show growth of well defined randomly oriented nanorods and nanograins on the CBD and SILAR deposited samples, respectively. The resistivity of CBD deposited films (10{sup 2} Ω cm) is lower than that of SILAR deposited films (10{sup 5} Ω cm). Surface wettability studies show hydrophobic nature for both films. From the above results it can be concluded that CBD grown ZnO thin films show better properties as compared to SILAR method.

A comparative study of physico-chemical properties of CBD and SILAR grown ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jambure, S.B.; Patil, S.J.; Deshpande, A.R.; Lokhande, C.D.

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Schematic model indicating ZnO nanorods by CBD (Z 1 ) and nanograins by SILAR (Z 2 ). - Highlights: • Simple methods for the synthesis of ZnO thin films. • Comparative study of physico-chemical properties of ZnO thin films prepared by CBD and SILAR methods. • CBD outperforms SILAR method. - Abstract: In the present work, nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have been successfully deposited onto glass substrates by simple and economical chemical bath deposition (CBD) and successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) methods. These films were further characterized for their structural, optical, surface morphological and wettability properties. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns for both CBD and SILAR deposited ZnO thin films reveal the highly crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure. From optical studies, band gaps obtained are 2.9 and 3.0 eV for CBD and SILAR deposited thin films, respectively. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) patterns show growth of well defined randomly oriented nanorods and nanograins on the CBD and SILAR deposited samples, respectively. The resistivity of CBD deposited films (10 2 Ω cm) is lower than that of SILAR deposited films (10 5 Ω cm). Surface wettability studies show hydrophobic nature for both films. From the above results it can be concluded that CBD grown ZnO thin films show better properties as compared to SILAR method

Review of flexible and transparent thin-film transistors based on zinc oxide and related materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yong-Hui; Mei Zeng-Xia; Liang Hui-Li; Du Xiao-Long

2017-01-01

Flexible and transparent electronics enters into a new era of electronic technologies. Ubiquitous applications involve wearable electronics, biosensors, flexible transparent displays, radio-frequency identifications (RFIDs), etc. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and relevant materials are the most commonly used inorganic semiconductors in flexible and transparent devices, owing to their high electrical performances, together with low processing temperatures and good optical transparencies. In this paper, we review recent advances in flexible and transparent thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on ZnO and relevant materials. After a brief introduction, the main progress of the preparation of each component (substrate, electrodes, channel and dielectrics) is summarized and discussed. Then, the effect of mechanical bending on electrical performance is highlighted. Finally, we suggest the challenges and opportunities in future investigations. (paper)

Study on the Hydrogenated ZnO-Based Thin Film Transistors. Part 1

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-30

growth of a- IGZO channel layers, but most of the devices exhibited enhancement-mode operation. The second approach studied the effect of hydrogenation of a... IGZO channel layers during post-annealing. Even though the device quality improved, depletion-mode operation was not achieved. Depletion-mode... IGZO film on the performance of thin film transistors 5 Chapter 2. Hydrogenation of a- IGZO channel layer in the thin film transistors 12

Antibacterial and barrier properties of oriented polymer films with ZnO thin films applied with atomic layer deposition at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vähä-Nissi, Mika; Pitkänen, Marja; Salo, Erkki; Kenttä, Eija; Tanskanen, Anne; Sajavaara, Timo; Putkonen, Matti; Sievänen, Jenni; Sneck, Asko; Rättö, Marjaana; Karppinen, Maarit; Harlin, Ali

2014-01-01

Concerns on food safety, and need for high quality and extended shelf-life of packaged foods have promoted the development of antibacterial barrier packaging materials. Few articles have been available dealing with the barrier or antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited at low temperature with atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto commercial polymer films typically used for packaging purposes. The purpose of this paper was to study the properties of ZnO thin films compared to those of aluminum oxide. It was also possible to deposit ZnO thin films onto oriented polylactic acid and polypropylene films at relatively low temperatures using ozone instead of water as an oxidizing precursor for diethylzinc. Replacing water with ozone changed both the structure and the chemical composition of films deposited on silicon wafers. ZnO films deposited with ozone contained large grains covered and separated probably by a more amorphous and uniform layer. These thin films were also assumed to contain zinc salts of carboxylic acids. The barrier properties of a 25 nm ZnO thin film deposited with ozone at 100 °C were quite close to those obtained earlier with ALD Al 2 O 3 of similar apparent thickness on similar polymer films. ZnO thin films deposited at low temperature indicated migration of antibacterial agent, while direct contact between ZnO and Al 2 O 3 thin films and bacteria promoted antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Thin films were grown from diethylzinc also with ozone instead of water at 70 and 100 °C. • ZnO films deposited with diethylzinc and ozone had different structures and chemistries. • Best barrier properties obtained with zinc oxide films close to those obtained with Al 2 O 3 • Ozone as oxygen source provided better barrier properties at 100 °C than water. • Both aluminum and zinc oxide thin films showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli

Antibacterial and barrier properties of oriented polymer films with ZnO thin films applied with atomic layer deposition at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vähä-Nissi, Mika, E-mail: mika.vaha-nissi@vtt.fi [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Pitkänen, Marja; Salo, Erkki; Kenttä, Eija [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Tanskanen, Anne, E-mail: Anne.Tanskanen@aalto.fi [Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Sajavaara, Timo, E-mail: timo.sajavaara@jyu.fi [University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä (Finland); Putkonen, Matti; Sievänen, Jenni; Sneck, Asko; Rättö, Marjaana [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland); Karppinen, Maarit, E-mail: Maarit.Karppinen@aalto.fi [Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Harlin, Ali [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, VTT (Finland)

2014-07-01

Concerns on food safety, and need for high quality and extended shelf-life of packaged foods have promoted the development of antibacterial barrier packaging materials. Few articles have been available dealing with the barrier or antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited at low temperature with atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto commercial polymer films typically used for packaging purposes. The purpose of this paper was to study the properties of ZnO thin films compared to those of aluminum oxide. It was also possible to deposit ZnO thin films onto oriented polylactic acid and polypropylene films at relatively low temperatures using ozone instead of water as an oxidizing precursor for diethylzinc. Replacing water with ozone changed both the structure and the chemical composition of films deposited on silicon wafers. ZnO films deposited with ozone contained large grains covered and separated probably by a more amorphous and uniform layer. These thin films were also assumed to contain zinc salts of carboxylic acids. The barrier properties of a 25 nm ZnO thin film deposited with ozone at 100 °C were quite close to those obtained earlier with ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} of similar apparent thickness on similar polymer films. ZnO thin films deposited at low temperature indicated migration of antibacterial agent, while direct contact between ZnO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films and bacteria promoted antibacterial activity. - Highlights: • Thin films were grown from diethylzinc also with ozone instead of water at 70 and 100 °C. • ZnO films deposited with diethylzinc and ozone had different structures and chemistries. • Best barrier properties obtained with zinc oxide films close to those obtained with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} • Ozone as oxygen source provided better barrier properties at 100 °C than water. • Both aluminum and zinc oxide thin films showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli.

Regulating effect of SiO2 interlayer on optical properties of ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Linhua; Zheng, Gaige; Miao, Juhong; Su, Jing; Zhang, Chengyi; Shen, Hua; Zhao, Lilong

2013-01-01

ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films with periodic structure were prepared by electron beam evaporation technique. Regulating effect of SiO 2 interlayer with various thicknesses on the optical properties of ZnO/SiO 2 thin films was investigated deeply. The analyses of X-ray diffraction show that the ZnO layers in ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films have a wurtzite structure and are preferentially oriented along the c-axis while the SiO 2 layers are amorphous. The scanning electron microscope images display that the ZnO layers are composed of columnar grains and the thicknesses of ZnO and SiO 2 layers are all very uniform. The SiO 2 interlayer presents a significant modulation effect on the optical properties of ZnO thin films, which is reflected in the following two aspects: (1) the transmittance of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films is increased; (2) the photoluminescence (PL) of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films is largely enhanced compared with that of pure ZnO thin films. The ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films have potential applications in light-emitting devices and flat panel displays. -- Highlights: ► ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films with periodic structure were prepared by electron beam evaporation technique. ► The SiO 2 interlayer presents a significant modulation effect on the optical properties of ZnO thin films. ► The photoluminescence of ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films is largely enhanced compared with that of pure ZnO thin films. ► The ZnO/SiO 2 nanocomposite films have potential applications in light-emitting devices and flat panel displays

Self-standing chitosan films as dielectrics in organic thin-film transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Morgado

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Organic thin film transistors, using self-standing 50 µm thick chitosan films as dielectric, are fabricated using sublimed pentacene or two conjugated polymers deposited by spin coating as semiconductors. Field-effect mobilities are found to be similar to values obtained with other dielectrics and, in the case of pentacene, a value (0.13 cm2/(V•s comparable to high performing transistors was determined. In spite of the low On/Off ratios (a maximum value of 600 was obtained for the pentacene-based transistors, these are promising results for the area of sustainable organic electronics in general and for biocompatible electronics in particular.

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin film by low cost modified SILAR technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haridas D. Dhaygude

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The ZnO thin film is prepared on Fluorine Tin Oxide (FTO coated glass substrate by using SILAR deposition technique containing ZnSO4.7H2O and NaOH as precursor solution with 150 deeping cycles at 70 °C temperature. Nanocrystalline diamond like ZnO thin film is characterized by different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform (FT Raman spectrometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM with Energy dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX, optical absorption, surface wettability and photoelectrochemical cell performance measurement. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the ZnO thin film is polycrystalline in nature having hexagonal crystal structure. The FT-Raman scattering exhibits a sharp and strong mode at 383 cm−1 which confirms hexagonal ZnO nanostructure. The surface morphology study reveals that deposited ZnO film consists of nanocrystalline diamond like morphology all over the substrate. The synthesized thin film exhibited absorption wavelength around 309 nm. Optical study predicted the direct band gap and band gap energy of this film is found to be 3.66 eV. The photoelectrochemical cell (PEC parameter measurement study shows that ZnO sample confirmed the highest values of, short circuit current (Isc - 629 mAcm−2, open circuit voltage (Voc - 878 mV, fill factor (FF - 0.48, and maximum efficiency (η - 0.89%, respectively.

Effect of Mg doping in ZnO buffer layer on ZnO thin film devices for electronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, Pushpa; Chakrabarti, P.

2016-05-01

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films have been grown on p-silicon (Si) substrate using magnesium doped ZnO (Mg: ZnO) buffer layer by radio-frequency (RF) sputtering method. In this paper, we have optimized the concentration of Mg (0-5 atomic percent (at. %)) ZnO buffer layer to examine its effect on ZnO thin film based devices for electronic and optoelectronic applications. The crystalline nature, morphology and topography of the surface of the thin film have been characterized. The optical as well as electrical properties of the active ZnO film can be tailored by varying the concentration of Mg in the buffer layer. The crystallite size in the active ZnO thin film was found to increase with the Mg concentration in the buffer layer in the range of 0-3 at. % and subsequently decrease with increasing Mg atom concentration in the ZnO. The same was verified by the surface morphology and topography studies carried out with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic electron microscopy (AFM) respectively. The reflectance in the visible region was measured to be less than 80% and found to decrease with increase in Mg concentration from 0 to 3 at. % in the buffer region. The optical bandgap was initially found to increase from 3.02 eV to 3.74 eV by increasing the Mg content from 0 to 3 at. % but subsequently decreases and drops down to 3.43 eV for a concentration of 5 at. %. The study of an Au:Pd/ZnO Schottky diode reveals that for optimum doping of the buffer layer the device exhibits superior rectifying behavior. The barrier height, ideality factor, rectification ratio, reverse saturation current and series resistance of the Schottky diode were extracted from the measured current voltage (I-V) characteristics.

P-type CuxS thin films: Integration in a thin film transistor structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes de Carvalho, C.; Parreira, P.; Lavareda, G.; Brogueira, P.; Amaral, A.

2013-01-01

Cu x S thin films, 80 nm thick, are deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation of sulfur-rich powder mixture, Cu 2 S:S (50:50 wt.%) with no intentional heating of the substrate. The process of deposition occurs at very low deposition rates (0.1–0.3 nm/s) to avoid the formation of Cu or S-rich films. The evolution of Cu x S films surface properties (morphology/roughness) under post deposition mild annealing in air at 270 °C and their integration in a thin film transistor (TFT) are the main objectives of this study. Accordingly, Scanning Electron Microscopy studies show Cu x S films with different surface morphologies, depending on the post deposition annealing conditions. For the shortest annealing time, the Cu x S films look to be constructed of grains with large dimension at the surface (approximately 100 nm) and consequently, irregular shape. For the longest annealing time, films with a fine-grained surface are found, with some randomly distributed large particles bound to this fine-grained surface. Atomic Force Microscopy results indicate an increase of the root-mean-square roughness of Cu x S surface with annealing time, from 13.6 up to 37.4 nm, for 255 and 345 s, respectively. The preliminary integration of Cu x S films in a TFT bottom-gate type structure allowed the study of the feasibility and compatibility of this material with the remaining stages of a TFT fabrication as well as the determination of the p-type characteristic of the Cu x S material. - Highlights: • Surface properties of annealed Cu x S films. • Variation of conductivity with annealing temperatures of Cu x S films. • Application of evaporated Cu x S films in a thin film transistor (TFT) structure. • Determination of Cu x S p-type characteristic from TFT behaviour

DFT calculations on electronic properties of ZnO thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cordeiro, J.M.; Reynoso, V.C.; Azevedo, D.H.M. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), SP (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: Introduction - Thin films of Zinc oxide (ZnO) has a wide range of technological applications, as transparent conducting electrodes in solar cells, flat panel displays, and sensors, for example. More recently applications in optoelectronics, like light emitter diodes and laser diodes, due to its large band gap, are been explored. Studies of ZnO thin films are important for these applications. Methodology - In this study thin films of ZnO have been deposited by spray pyrolysis on glass substrate. The films were characterized by XRD and UV-VIS techniques and the electronic properties as a function of the film thickness have been investigated by DFT calculations with B3LYP hybrid potential implemented in the CRYSTAL09 code. Results - The diffractograms obtained for the ZnO thin films as a function of the thickness are shown. The films exhibit a hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred c-axis orientation in (002) direction of ZnO crystal. A quantum mechanical approach based on the periodic Density Functional Theory (DFT), with B3LYP hybrid potential was used to investigate the electronic structure of the films as a function of the thickness. The CRYSTAL09 code has been used for the calculations on the wurtzite hexagonal structure of ZnO - spatial group P63mc. For optimizing the geometry of the pure ZnO crystal, the experimental lattice parameters were got as follows: a= 0.325 nm, b= 0.325 nm, c= 0.5207 nm with c/a= 1.602. Considering to the calculations of the band structure, it is suggested that the semiconducting properties of ZnO arises from the overlapping of the 4s orbital of the conducting band of Zn and the 2p orbital of the top of valence band of O. Conclusions - The structure of ZnO thin film deposited on glass substrate present preferential orientation in (002) direction. Variation in the optical properties as a function of the film thickness was observed. The band gap energy was determined from optical analysis to be ∼ 3.27 eV. The refractive

Electrical properties of ZnO-based bottom-gate thin film transistors fabricated by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Navamathavan, R. [Nano Thin Film Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cheju National University, Jeju 690-756 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: n_mathavan@yahoo.com; Choi, Chi Kyu [Nano Thin Film Materials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cheju National University, Jeju 690-756 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seong-Ju [Nanophotonic Semiconductors Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-05-05

We report on enhancement-mode thin film transistors (TFTs) using ZnO as an active channel layer deposited by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering at 300 deg. C. The TFT structure consisted of ZnO as a channel, SiN{sub x} as a gate insulator and indium tin oxide (ITO) as a gate which were deposited onto a Corning glass substrate. X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that dense columnar structure of closely packed ZnO nano grains along the c-axis. The transfer characteristics of a typical ZnO TFT exhibited a field effect mobility of 31 cm{sup 2}/V s, a drain current on/off ratio of 10{sup 4}, the low off-current value in the order of 10{sup -10} A, and a threshold voltage of 1.7 V. The transparent ZnO TFT exhibited n-channel enhancement mode behavior.

Use of chemically synthesized ZnO thin film as a liquefied petroleum gas sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinde, V.R.; Gujar, T.P.; Lokhande, C.D.; Mane, R.S.; Han, Sung-Hwan

2007-01-01

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing properties of ZnO thin films consisting of sub-micron rods synthesized by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method are presented in depth. The scanning electron microscopy observation reveals that ZnO sub-micron rods are of hexagonal in phase grown perpendicular to the substrate surface. Due to large surface area, the ZnO thin films of sub-micron rods were sensitive to the explosive LPG, which was studied for different time depositions and for different operating temperatures. The maximum response of 28% at 673 K was recorded under the exposure of 10% of lower explosive level (LEL) of LPG. The ZnO thin films of sub-micron rods exhibited good sensitivity and rapid response-recovery characteristics towards LPG

Zinc Vacancy-Induced Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Undoped ZnO Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongtao Ren

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Undoped ZnO thin films are prepared by polymer-assisted deposition (PAD and treated by postannealing at different temperatures in oxygen or forming gases (95%  Ar+5% H2. All the samples exhibit ferromagnetism at room temperature (RT. SQUID and positron annihilation measurements show that post-annealing treatments greatly enhance the magnetizations in undoped ZnO samples, and there is a positive correlation between the magnetization and zinc vacancies in the ZnO thin films. XPS measurements indicate that annealing also induces oxygen vacancies that have no direct relationship with ferromagnetism. Further analysis of the results suggests that the ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO is induced by Zn vacancies.

Characterization of n and p-type ZnO thin films grown by pulsed filtered cathodic vacuum arc system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavak, H.; Erdogan, E.N.; Ozsahin, I.; Esen, R.

2010-01-01

Full text : Semiconductor ZnO thin films with wide band gap attract much interest due to their properties such as chemical stability in hydrogen plasma, high optical transparency in the visible and nearinfrared region. Due to these properties ZnO oxide is a promising materials for electronic or optoelectronic applications such as solar cell (as an antireflecting coating and a transparent conducting material), gas sensors, surface acoustic wave devices. The purpose of this research is to improve the properties of n and p-type ZnO thin films for device applications. Polycrystalline ZnO is naturally n-type and very difficult to dope to make p-type. Therefore nowadays hardly produced p-type ZnO attracts a lot of attention. Nitrogen considered as the best dopant for p-type ZnO thin films.The transparent, conductive and very precise thickness controlled n and p-type semiconducting nanocrystalline ZnO thin films were prepared by pulsed filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition (PFCVAD) method. Structural, optical and electrical properties of these films were investigated. And also photoluminescence properties of these films were investigated. Transparent p-type ZnO thin films were produced by oxidation of PFCVAD deposited zinc nitride. Zinc nitride thin films were deposited with various thicknesses and under different oxygen pressures on glass substrates. Zinc nitride thin films, which were deposited at room temperatures, were amorphous and the optical transmission was below 70%. For oxidation zinc nitride, the sample was annealed in air starting from 350 degrees Celsium up to 550 degrees Celsium for one hour duration. These XRD patterns imply that zinc nitride thin films converted to zinc oxide thin films with the same hexagonal crystalline structures of ZnO. The optical measurements were made for each annealing temperature and the optical transmissions of ZnO thin films were found better than 90 percent in visible range after annealing over 350 degrees Celsium. By

Comparative study of ZnO nanorods and thin films for chemical and biosensing applications and the development of ZnO nanorods based potentiometric strontium ion sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Khun, K.; Ibupoto, Z. H.; Chey, C. O.; Lu, Jun.; Nur, O.; Willander, M.

2013-03-01

In this study, the comparative study of ZnO nanorods and ZnO thin films were performed regarding the chemical and biosensing properties and also ZnO nanorods based strontium ion sensor is proposed. ZnO nanorods were grown on gold coated glass substrates by the hydrothermal growth method and the ZnO thin films were deposited by electro deposition technique. ZnO nanorods and thin films were characterised by field emission electron microscopy [FESEM] and X-ray diffraction [XRD] techniques and this study has shown that the grown nanostructures are highly dense, uniform and exhibited good crystal quality. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy [TEM] was used to investigate the quality of ZnO thin film and we observed that ZnO thin film was comprised of nano clusters. ZnO nanorods and thin films were functionalised with selective strontium ionophore salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone [ST] membrane, galactose oxidase, and lactate oxidase for the detection of strontium ion, galactose and L-lactic acid, respectively. The electrochemical response of both ZnO nanorods and thin films sensor devices was measured by using the potentiometric method. The strontium ion sensor has exhibited good characteristics with a sensitivity of 28.65 ± 0.52 mV/decade, for a wide range of concentrations from 1.00 × 10-6 to 5.00 × 10-2 M, selectivity, reproducibility, stability and fast response time of 10.00 s. The proposed strontium ion sensor was used as indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of strontium ion versus ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid [EDTA]. This comparative study has shown that ZnO nanorods possessed better performance with high sensitivity and low limit of detection due to high surface area to volume ratio as compared to the flat surface of ZnO thin films.

Recent advances in ZnO nanostructures and thin films for biosensor applications: Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arya, Sunil K.; Saha, Shibu; Ramirez-Vick, Jaime E.; Gupta, Vinay; Bhansali, Shekhar; Singh, Surinder P.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: ZnO nanostructures have shown binding of biomolecules in desired orientation with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, their compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes them suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films, and their applications in biosensor technology. Highlights: ► This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films. ► Article highlights the importance of ZnO nanostructures as biosensor matrix. ► Article highlights the advances in various biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures. ► Article describes the potential of ZnO based biosensor for new generation healthcare devices. - Abstract: Biosensors have shown great potential for health care and environmental monitoring. The performance of biosensors depends on their components, among which the matrix material, i.e., the layer between the recognition layer of biomolecule and transducer, plays a crucial role in defining the stability, sensitivity and shelf-life of a biosensor. Recently, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and thin films have attracted much interest as materials for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, high isoelectric point, electrochemical activity, high electron mobility, ease of synthesis by diverse methods and high surface-to-volume ratio. ZnO nanostructures have shown the binding of biomolecules in desired orientations with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes ZnO nanostructures suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review

Recent advances in ZnO nanostructures and thin films for biosensor applications: Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arya, Sunil K., E-mail: sunilarya333@gmail.com [Bioelectronics Program, Institute of Microelectronics, A-Star 11 Science Park Road, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117685 (Singapore); Saha, Shibu [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Ramirez-Vick, Jaime E. [Engineering Science and Materials Department, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR 00681 (United States); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Bhansali, Shekhar [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States); Singh, Surinder P., E-mail: singh.uprm@gmail.com [National Physical Laboratory, Dr K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India)

2012-08-06

Graphical abstract: ZnO nanostructures have shown binding of biomolecules in desired orientation with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, their compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes them suitable candidate for future small integrated biosensor devices. This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films, and their applications in biosensor technology. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This review highlights various approaches to synthesize ZnO nanostructures and thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article highlights the importance of ZnO nanostructures as biosensor matrix. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article highlights the advances in various biosensors based on ZnO nanostructures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Article describes the potential of ZnO based biosensor for new generation healthcare devices. - Abstract: Biosensors have shown great potential for health care and environmental monitoring. The performance of biosensors depends on their components, among which the matrix material, i.e., the layer between the recognition layer of biomolecule and transducer, plays a crucial role in defining the stability, sensitivity and shelf-life of a biosensor. Recently, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures and thin films have attracted much interest as materials for biosensors due to their biocompatibility, chemical stability, high isoelectric point, electrochemical activity, high electron mobility, ease of synthesis by diverse methods and high surface-to-volume ratio. ZnO nanostructures have shown the binding of biomolecules in desired orientations with improved conformation and high biological activity, resulting in enhanced sensing characteristics. Furthermore, compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology for constructing integrated circuits makes ZnO

High Electron Mobility Thin-Film Transistors Based on Solution-Processed Semiconducting Metal Oxide Heterojunctions and Quasi-Superlattices

KAUST Repository

Lin, Yen-Hung; Faber, Hendrik; Labram, John G.; Stratakis, Emmanuel; Sygellou, Labrini; Kymakis, Emmanuel; Hastas, Nikolaos A.; Li, Ruipeng; Zhao, Kui; Amassian, Aram; Treat, Neil D.; McLachlan, Martyn; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.

2015-01-01

High mobility thin-film transistor technologies that can be implemented using simple and inexpensive fabrication methods are in great demand because of their applicability in a wide range of emerging optoelectronics. Here, a novel concept of thin-film transistors is reported that exploits the enhanced electron transport properties of low-dimensional polycrystalline heterojunctions and quasi-superlattices (QSLs) consisting of alternating layers of In2O3, Ga2O3, and ZnO grown by sequential spin casting of different precursors in air at low temperatures (180–200 °C). Optimized prototype QSL transistors exhibit band-like transport with electron mobilities approximately a tenfold greater (25–45 cm2 V−1 s−1) than single oxide devices (typically 2–5 cm2 V−1 s−1). Based on temperature-dependent electron transport and capacitance-voltage measurements, it is argued that the enhanced performance arises from the presence of quasi 2D electron gas-like systems formed at the carefully engineered oxide heterointerfaces. The QSL transistor concept proposed here can in principle extend to a range of other oxide material systems and deposition methods (sputtering, atomic layer deposition, spray pyrolysis, roll-to-roll, etc.) and can be seen as an extremely promising technology for application in next-generation large area optoelectronics such as ultrahigh definition optical displays and large-area microelectronics where high performance is a key requirement.

High Electron Mobility Thin-Film Transistors Based on Solution-Processed Semiconducting Metal Oxide Heterojunctions and Quasi-Superlattices

KAUST Repository

Lin, Yen-Hung

2015-05-26

High mobility thin-film transistor technologies that can be implemented using simple and inexpensive fabrication methods are in great demand because of their applicability in a wide range of emerging optoelectronics. Here, a novel concept of thin-film transistors is reported that exploits the enhanced electron transport properties of low-dimensional polycrystalline heterojunctions and quasi-superlattices (QSLs) consisting of alternating layers of In2O3, Ga2O3, and ZnO grown by sequential spin casting of different precursors in air at low temperatures (180–200 °C). Optimized prototype QSL transistors exhibit band-like transport with electron mobilities approximately a tenfold greater (25–45 cm2 V−1 s−1) than single oxide devices (typically 2–5 cm2 V−1 s−1). Based on temperature-dependent electron transport and capacitance-voltage measurements, it is argued that the enhanced performance arises from the presence of quasi 2D electron gas-like systems formed at the carefully engineered oxide heterointerfaces. The QSL transistor concept proposed here can in principle extend to a range of other oxide material systems and deposition methods (sputtering, atomic layer deposition, spray pyrolysis, roll-to-roll, etc.) and can be seen as an extremely promising technology for application in next-generation large area optoelectronics such as ultrahigh definition optical displays and large-area microelectronics where high performance is a key requirement.

Atomic layer deposition of Al-doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tynell, Tommi; Yamauchi, Hisao; Karppinen, Maarit; Okazaki, Ryuji; Terasaki, Ichiro [Department of Chemistry, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto (Finland); Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Atomic layer deposition has been used to fabricate thin films of aluminum-doped ZnO by depositing interspersed layers of ZnO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on borosilicate glass substrates. The growth characteristics of the films have been investigated through x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflection, and x-ray fluorescence measurements, and the efficacy of the Al doping has been evaluated through optical reflectivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements. The Al doping is found to affect the carrier density of ZnO up to a nominal Al dopant content of 5 at. %. At nominal Al doping levels of 10 at. % and higher, the structure of the films is found to be strongly affected by the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase and no further carrier doping of ZnO is observed.

Effect of doping concentration on the conductivity and optical properties of p-type ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pathak, Trilok Kumar [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India); Kumar, Vinod, E-mail: vinod.phy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Swart, H.C., E-mail: swarthc@ufs.ac.za [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein (South Africa); Purohit, L.P., E-mail: proflppurohitphys@gmail.com [Semiconductor Research Lab, Department of Physics, Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar (India)

2016-01-01

Nitrogen doped ZnO (NZO) thin films were synthesized on glass substrates by the sol–gel and spin coating method. Zinc acetate dihydrates and ammonium acetate were used as precursors for zinc and nitrogen, respectively. X-ray diffraction study showed that the thin films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure corresponding (002) peak for undoped and doped ZnO thin films. The transmittance of the films was above 80% and the band gap of the film varies from 3.21±0.03 eV for undoped and doped ZnO. The minimum resistivity of NZO thin films was obtained as 0.473 Ω cm for the 4 at% of nitrogen (N) doping with a mobility of 1.995 cm{sup 2}/V s. The NZO thin films showed p-type conductivity at 2 and 3 at% of N doping. The AC conductivity measurements that were carried out in the frequency range 10 kHz to 0.1 MHz showed localized conduction in the NZO thin films. These highly transparent ZnO films can be used as a possible window layer in solar cells.

Ultraviolet Sensing by Al-doped ZnO Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashid, A.R.A.; Menon, P.S.; Shaari, S.

2011-01-01

We report the fabrication and characterization of an ultraviolet photoconductive sensing by using Al-doped ZnO films. Undoped ZnO, 1 at.% and 2 at% of Al were prepared on quartz glass by sol gel method with annealing temperature of 500 degree Celsius for 1 hour. The presence of spherical shaped nanoparticles were detected for undoped ZnO by using FESEM. The absorption edge shifted to a lower wavelength by doping with Al and excitonic peak can be observed. The band gap values increased by adding Al. I-V curves reveal an improvement in electrical properties when the samples are illuminated by ultraviolet (UV) light with a wavelength of 365 nm. At 1 at.% of Al, the film have a larger increment in photocurrent response when illuminated with UV light compared to undoped ZnO and 2 at.% Al. The thin films have a longer recovery time than response time. (author)

Chemical vapor deposition based tungsten disulfide (WS2) thin film transistor

KAUST Repository

Hussain, Aftab M.

2013-04-01

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) is a layered transition metal dichalcogenide with a reported band gap of 1.8 eV in bulk and 1.32-1.4 eV in its thin film form. 2D atomic layers of metal dichalcogenides have shown changes in conductivity with applied electric field. This makes them an interesting option for channel material in field effect transistors (FETs). Therefore, we show a highly manufacturable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) based simple process to grow WS2 directly on silicon oxide in a furnace and then its transistor action with back gated device with room temperature field effect mobility of 0.1003 cm2/V-s using the Schottky barrier contact model. We also show the semiconducting behavior of this WS2 thin film which is more promising than thermally unstable organic materials for thin film transistor application. Our direct growth method on silicon oxide also holds interesting opportunities for macro-electronics applications. © 2013 IEEE.

Development of novel control system to grow ZnO thin films by reactive evaporation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Gordillo

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This work describes a novel system implemented to grow ZnO thin films by plasma assisted reactive evaporation with adequate properties to be used in the fabrication of photovoltaic devices with different architectures. The innovative aspect includes both an improved design of the reactor used to activate the chemical reaction that leads to the formation of the ZnO compound as an electronic system developed using the virtual instrumentation concept. ZnO thin films with excellent opto-electrical properties were prepared in a reproducible way, controlling the deposition system through a virtual instrument (VI with facilities to control the amount of evaporated zinc involved in the process that gives rise to the formation of ZnO, by means of the incorporation of PID (proportional integral differential and PWM (pulse width modulation control algorithms. The effectiveness and reliability of the developed system was verified by obtaining with good reproducibility thin films of n+-ZnO and i-ZnO grown sequentially in situ with thicknesses and resistivities suitable for use as window layers in chalcopyrite based thin film solar cells.

Tungsten trioxide as high-{kappa} gate dielectric for highly transparent and temperature-stable zinc-oxide-based thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenz, Michael; Wenckstern, Holger von; Grundmann, Marius [Universitaet Leipzig, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Geowissenschaften, Institut fuer Experimentelle Physik II, Linnestr. 5, 04103 Leipzig (Germany)

2012-07-01

We demonstrate metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors with high-{kappa}, room-temperature deposited, highly transparent tungsten trioxide (WO{sub 3}) as gate dielectric. The channel material consists of a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film. The transmittance and resistivity of WO{sub 3} films was tuned in order to obtain a highly transparent and insulating WO{sub 3} dielectric. The devices were processed by standard photolithography using lift-off technique. On top of the WO{sub 3} dielectric a highly transparent and conductive oxide consisting of ZnO: Al 3% wt. was deposited. The gate structure of the devices exhibits an average transmittance in the visible spectral range of 86%. The on/off-current ratio is larger than 10{sup 8} with off- and gate leakage-currents below 3 x 10{sup -8} A/cm{sup 2}. Due to the high relative permittivity of {epsilon}{sub r} {approx} 70, a gate voltage sweep of only 2 V is necessary to turn the transistor on and off with a minimum subthreshold swing of 80 mV/decade. The channel mobility of the transistors equals the Hall-effect mobility with a value of 5 cm{sup 2}/Vs. It is furthermore shown, that the devices are stable up to operating temperatures of at least 150 C.

Graphene-based flexible and stretchable thin film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Chao; Cho, Jeong Ho; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

2012-08-21

Graphene has been attracting wide attention owing to its superb electronic, thermal and mechanical properties. These properties allow great applications in the next generation of optoelectronics, where flexibility and stretchability are essential. In this context, the recent development of graphene growth/transfer and its applications in field-effect transistors are involved. In particular, we provide a detailed review on the state-of-the-art of graphene-based flexible and stretchable thin film transistors. We address the principles of fabricating high-speed graphene analog transistors and the key issues of producing an array of graphene-based transistors on flexible and stretchable substrates. It provides a platform for future work to focus on understanding and realizing high-performance graphene-based transistors.

Characterizations of multilayer ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel spin coating technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.I. Khan

Full Text Available In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO multilayer thin films are deposited on glass substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique and the effect of these multilayer films on optical, electrical and structural properties are investigated. It is observed that these multilayer films have great impact on the properties of ZnO. X-ray Diffraction (XRD confirms that ZnO has hexagonal wurtzite structure. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM showed the crack-free films which have uniformly distributed grains structures. Both micro and nano particles of ZnO are present on thin films. Four point probe measured the electrical properties showed the decreasing trend between the average resistivity and the number of layers. The optical absorption spectra measured using UV–Vis. showed the average transmittance in the visible region of all films is 80% which is good for solar spectra. The performance of the multilayer as transparent conducting material is better than the single layer of ZnO. This work provides a low cost, environment friendly and well abandoned material for solar cells applications. Keywords: Multilayer films, Semiconductor, ZnO, XRD, SEM, Optoelectronic properties

Method for double-sided processing of thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Hao-Chih; Wang, Guogong; Eriksson, Mark A.; Evans, Paul G.; Lagally, Max G.; Ma, Zhenqiang

2008-04-08

This invention provides methods for fabricating thin film electronic devices with both front- and backside processing capabilities. Using these methods, high temperature processing steps may be carried out during both frontside and backside processing. The methods are well-suited for fabricating back-gate and double-gate field effect transistors, double-sided bipolar transistors and 3D integrated circuits.

Junctionless Thin-Film Transistors Gated by an H₃PO₄-Incorporated Chitosan Proton Conductor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huixuan; Xun, Damao

2018-04-01

We fabricated an H3PO4-incorporated chitosan proton conductor film that exhibited the electric double layer effect and showed a high specific capacitance of 4.42 μF/cm2. Transparent indium tin oxide thin-film transistors gated by H3PO4-incorporated chitosan films were fabricated by sputtering through a shadow mask. The operating voltage was as low as 1.2 V because of the high specific capacitance of the H3PO4-incorporated chitosan dielectrics. The junctionless transparent indium tin oxide thin film transistors exhibited good performance, including an estimated current on/off ratio and field-effect mobility of 1.2 × 106 and 6.63 cm2V-1s-1, respectively. These low-voltage thin-film electric-double-layer transistors gated by H3PO4-incorporated chitosan are promising for next generation battery-powered "see-through" portable sensors.

Stable organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xiaojia; Fuentes-Hernandez, Canek; Wang, Cheng-Yin; Park, Youngrak; Kippelen, Bernard

2018-01-01

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) can be fabricated at moderate temperatures and through cost-effective solution-based processes on a wide range of low-cost flexible and deformable substrates. Although the charge mobility of state-of-the-art OTFTs is superior to that of amorphous silicon and approaches that of amorphous oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs), their operational stability generally remains inferior and a point of concern for their commercial deployment. We report on an exhaustive characterization of OTFTs with an ultrathin bilayer gate dielectric comprising the amorphous fluoropolymer CYTOP and an Al2O3:HfO2 nanolaminate. Threshold voltage shifts measured at room temperature over time periods up to 5.9 × 105 s do not vary monotonically and remain below 0.2 V in microcrystalline OTFTs (μc-OTFTs) with field-effect carrier mobility values up to 1.6 cm2 V−1 s−1. Modeling of these shifts as a function of time with a double stretched-exponential (DSE) function suggests that two compensating aging mechanisms are at play and responsible for this high stability. The measured threshold voltage shifts at temperatures up to 75°C represent at least a one-order-of-magnitude improvement in the operational stability over previous reports, bringing OTFT technologies to a performance level comparable to that reported in the scientific literature for other commercial TFTs technologies. PMID:29340301

Fabrication of an a-IGZO thin film transistor using selective deposition of cobalt by the self-assembly monolayer (SAM) process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young-Je; Kim, HyunHo; Park, Kyoung-Yun; Lee, Jaegab; Bobade, Santosh M; Wu, Fu-Chung; Choi, Duck-Kyun

2011-01-01

Interest in transparent oxide thin film transistors utilizing ZnO material has been on the rise for many years. Recently, however, IGZO has begun to draw more attention due to its higher stability and superior electric field mobility when compared to ZnO. In this work, we address an improved method for patterning an a-IGZO film using the SAM process, which employs a cost-efficient micro-contact printing method instead of the conventional lithography process. After a-IGZO film deposition on the surface of a SiO2-layered Si wafer, the wafer was illuminated with UV light; sources and drains were then patterned using n-octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) molecules by a printing method. Due to the low surface energy of OTS, cobalt was selectively deposited on the OTS-free a-IGZO surface. The selective deposition of cobalt electrodes was successful, as confirmed by an optical microscope. The a-IZGO TFT fabricated using the SAM process exhibited good transistor performance: electric field mobility (micro(FE)), threshold voltage (V(th)), subthreshold slope (SS) and on/off ratio were 2.1 cm2/Vs, 2.4 V, 0.35 V/dec and 2.9 x 10(6), respectively.

Study of nanocluster-assembled ZnO thin films by nanocluster-beam deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Zhiwei; Lei, Wei; Zhang, Xiaobing [School of Electronic Science and Engieering, Southeast University, Nanjing (China); Tay, Beng Kang [School of Electronical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang (Singapore)

2012-01-15

Nanocluster-assembled ZnO thin films were obtained by nanocluster-beam deposition, in which nanoclusters were produced by a magnetron sputtering gas aggregation source. Two kinds of ZnO thin films were obtained using this method with the one grown under the on-line heating temperature of 700 C, and the other grown without on-line heating. Film microstructure and optical properties are investigated by various diagnostic techniques. It was found that both of film microstructure of ZnO thin films keep wurtzite structure as that of ZnO bulk materials. The averaged particle size for the film grown without on-line heating is around 6 nm, which is a little lower than that grown with the on-line heating. It was also found that as increasing the wavelength, both of the absorbance spectra for the films decrease sharply near ultra-visible to extend slowly to the visible and infrared wavelength range. For the film grown without on-line heating, the bandgap energy was estimated to 3.77 eV, while for the film grown with on-line heating, the bandgap energy was redshift to 3.71 eV. Similar behavior was also found for PL spectra analysis, where PL spectrum exhibited a peak centered at 3.31 eV without on-line heating, while it redshift to 3.20 eV with on-line heating. The mechanisms behind these behaviors were presented in this article. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Superhydrophobic Ag decorated ZnO nanostructured thin film as effective surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Jayram, Naidu Dhanpal; Sonia, S.; Poongodi, S.; Kumar, P. Suresh; Masuda, Yoshitake; Mangalaraj, D.; Ponpandian, N.; Viswanathan, C.

2015-11-01

The present work is an attempt to overcome the challenges in the fabrication of super hydrophobic silver decorated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructure thin films via thermal evaporation process. The ZnO nanowire thin films are prepared without any surface modification and show super hydrophobic nature with a contact angle of 163°. Silver is further deposited onto the ZnO nanowire to obtain nanoworm morphology. Silver decorated ZnO (Ag@ZnO) thin films are used as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) studies. The formation of randomly arranged nanowire and silver decorated nanoworm structure is confirmed using FESEM, HR-TEM and AFM analysis. Crystallinity and existence of Ag on ZnO are confirmed using XRD and XPS studies. A detailed growth mechanism is discussed for the formation of the nanowires from nanobeads based on various deposition times. The prepared SERS substrate reveals a reproducible enhancement of 3.082 × 107 M for Rhodamine 6G dye (R6G) for 10-10 molar concentration per liter. A higher order of SERS spectra is obtained for a contact angle of 155°. Thus the obtained thin films show the superhydrophobic nature with a highly enhanced Raman spectrum and act as SERS substrates. The present nanoworm morphology shows a new pathway for the construction of semiconductor thin films for plasmonic studies and challenges the orderly arranged ZnO nanorods, wires and other nano structure substrates used in SERS studies.

Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

Effects of Doping Concentration on the Structural and Optical Properties of Spin-Coated In-doped ZnO Thin Films Grown on Thermally Oxidized ZnO Film/ZnO Buffer Layer/Mica Substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Byunggu; Leem, Jae-Young

2017-01-01

ZnO buffer layers were deposited on mica substrates using a sol-gel spin coating method. Then, a thin film of metallic Zn was deposited onto the ZnO buffer layer/mica substrate using a thermal evaporator, and the deposited Zn thin films were then thermally oxidized in a furnace at 500 ℃ for 2 h in air. Finally, In-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films with different In concentrations were grown on the oxidized ZnO film/ZnO buffer layer/mica substrates using the sol-gel spin-coating method. All the IZO films showed ZnO peaks with similar intensities. The full width at half maximum values of the ZnO (002) peak for the IZO thin films decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at%, because the crystallinity of the films was enhanced. However, a further increase in the In concentration caused the crystal quality to degrade. This might be attributed to the fact that the higher In doping resulted in an increase in the number of ionized impurities. The Urbach energy (EU) values of the IZO thin film decreased with an increase in the In concentration to 1 at % because of the enhanced crystal quality of the films. The EU values for the IZO thin films increased with the In concentration from 1 at%to 3 at%, reflecting the broadening of localized band tail state near the conduction band edge of the films.

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Mn doped ZnO thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aravind, Arun, E-mail: aruncusat@gmail.com [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi 682 022, Kerala (India); Jayaraj, M.K., E-mail: mkj@cusat.ac.in [Nanophotonic and Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, Department of Physics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi 682 022, Kerala (India); Kumar, Mukesh; Chandra, Ramesh [Nano Science Laboratory, Institute Instrumentation Centre, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, Uttarakhand (India)

2012-08-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Defect induced Raman active modes in Mn doped ZnO thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Room temperature ferromagnetism. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Morphological variations of ZnO thin films with Mn doping. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Variation of refractive index of ZnO thin films with Mn doping. - Abstract: Zn{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}O thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition. The phase purity and the structure were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The films have a transmittance more than 80% in the visible region. The refractive index of Zn{sub 0.90}Mn{sub 0.10}O films is found to be 1.77 at 550 nm. The presence of non-polar E{sub 2}{sup high} and E{sub 2}{sup low} Raman modes in thin films indicates that 'Mn' doping does not change the wurtzite structure of ZnO. Apart from the normal modes of ZnO the Zn{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}O ceramic targets show two additional modes at 332 cm{sup -1} (I{sub 1}) and 524 cm{sup -1} (I{sub 2}). The broad Raman peaks (340-600 cm{sup -1}) observed Zn{sub 0.90}Mn{sub 0.10}O thin films can be deconvoluted into five peaks, denoted as P{sub 1}-P{sub 5}. The possible origins of Raman peaks in Zn{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}O films are the structural disorder and morphological change caused by the Mn dopant. The B{sub 1}{sup low}, {sup 2}B{sub 1}{sup low}, B{sub 1}{sup high} and A{sub 1}{sup LO} modes as well as the surface phonon mode have been observed in heavily Mn-doped ZnO films. Zn{sub 0.98}Mn{sub 0.02}O thin film shows room temperature ferromagnetism. The saturation magnetic moment of the Zn{sub 0.98}Mn{sub 0.02}O thin film is 0.42{mu}{sub B}/Mn atom. The undoped ZnO film prepared under the same condition shows diamagnetic nature. At higher doping concentrations the formation of Mn clusters suppress the room temperature ferromagnetism in Zn{sub 1-x}Mn{sub x}O thin films and shows paramagnetism. XPS confirms the incorporation of Mn{sup 2+} into the ZnO lattice.

Liquid crystals for organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Iino, Hiroaki; Usui, Takayuki; Hanna, Jun-Ichi

2015-04-01

Crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors are a good candidate for field effect transistor (FET) materials in printed electronics. However, there are currently two main problems, which are associated with inhomogeneity and poor thermal durability of these films. Here we report that liquid crystalline materials exhibiting a highly ordered liquid crystal phase of smectic E (SmE) can solve both these problems. We design a SmE liquid crystalline material, 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10), for FETs and synthesize it. This material provides uniform and molecularly flat polycrystalline thin films reproducibly when SmE precursor thin films are crystallized, and also exhibits high durability of films up to 200 °C. In addition, the mobility of FETs is dramatically enhanced by about one order of magnitude (over 10 cm2 V-1 s-1) after thermal annealing at 120 °C in bottom-gate-bottom-contact FETs. We anticipate the use of SmE liquid crystals in solution-processed FETs may help overcome upcoming difficulties with novel technologies for printed electronics.

Drying Temperature Dependence of Sol-gel Spin Coated Bilayer Composite ZnO/TiO2 Thin Films for Extended Gate Field Effect Transistor pH Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, R. A.; Zulkefle, M. A.; Yusoff, K. A.; Abdullah, W. F. H.; Rusop, M.; Herman, S. H.

2018-03-01

This study presents an investigation on zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) bilayer film applied as the sensing membrane for extended-gate field effect transistor (EGFET) for pH sensing application. The influences of the drying temperatures on the pH sensing capability of ZnO/TiO2 were investigated. The sensing performance of the thin films were measured by connecting the thin film to a commercial MOSFET to form the extended gates. By varying the drying temperature, we found that the ZnO/TiO2 thin film dried at 150°C gave the highest sensitivity compared to other drying conditions, with the sensitivity value of 48.80 mV/pH.

Effect of surface microstructure and wettability on plasma protein adsorption to ZnO thin films prepared at different RF powers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Zhanyun; Chen Min; Chen Dihu [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Pan Shirong, E-mail: stscdh@mail.sysu.edu.c [Artificial Heart Lab, the 1st Affiliate Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080 (China)

2010-10-01

In this paper, the adsorption behavior of plasma proteins on the surface of ZnO thin films prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering under different sputtering powers was studied. The microstructures and surface properties of the ZnO thin films were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible optical absorption spectroscopy and contact angle techniques. The results show that the ZnO thin films have better orientation of the (0 0 2) peak with increasing RF power, especially at around 160 W, and the optical band gap of the ZnO films varies from 3.2 to 3.4 eV. The contact angle test carried out by the sessile drop technique denoted a hydrophobic surface of the ZnO films, and the surface energy and adhesive work of the ZnO thin films decreased with increasing sputtering power. The amounts of human fibrinogen (HFG) and human serum albumin (HSA) adsorbing on the ZnO films and reference samples were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results show that fewer plasma proteins and a smaller HFG/HSA ratio adsorb on the ZnO thin films' surface.

Laser-Printed Organic Thin-Film Transistors

KAUST Repository

Diemer, Peter J.

2017-09-20

Solution deposition of organic optoelectronic materials enables fast roll-to-roll manufacturing of photonic and electronic devices on any type of substrate and at low cost. But controlling the film microstructure when it crystallizes from solution can be challenging. This represents a major limitation of this technology, since the microstructure, in turn, governs the charge transport properties of the material. Further, the solvents typically used are hazardous, which precludes their incorporation in large-scale manufacturing processes. Here, the first ever organic thin-film transistor fabricated with an electrophotographic laser printing process using a standard office laser printer is reported. This completely solvent-free additive manufacturing method allows for simultaneous deposition, purification, and patterning of the organic semiconductor layer. Laser-printed transistors using triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene as the semiconductor layer are realized on flexible substrates and characterized, making this a successful first demonstration of the potential of laser printing of organic semiconductors.

Investigation of sensitivity and selectivity of ZnO thin film to volatile organic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Teimoori, F.; Khojier, K.; Dehnavi, N. Z.

2017-06-01

This research addresses a detailed study on the sensitivity and selectivity of ZnO thin film to volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors that can be used for the development of VOC sensors. The ZnO thin film of 100 nm thickness was prepared by post-annealing of e-beam evaporated Zn thin film. The sample was structurally, morphologically, and chemically characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy analyses. The sensitivity, selectivity, and detection limit of the sample were tested with respect to a wide range of common VOC vapors, including acetone, formaldehyde, acetic acid, formic acid, acetylene, toluene, benzene, ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol in the temperature range of 200-400 °C. The results show that the best sensitivity and detection limit of the sample are related to acetone vapor in the studied temperature range. The ZnO thin film-based acetone sensor also shows a good reproducibility and stability at the operating temperature of 280 °C.

Influence of PANI Additions on Methanol Sensing Properties of ZnO Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammad Hafizuddin Jumali; Norhashimah Ramli; Izura Izzuddin; Muhammad Yahaya; Muhamad Mat Salleh

2011-01-01

The influence of PANI additions on methanol sensing properties of ZnO thin films at room temperature had been investigated. Commercial poly aniline powder (PANI) was mixed into 3 mL ZnO solution in five different weight percentages namely 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00 and 6.25 % to obtain ZnO/ PANI composite solutions. These solutions were spin coated onto glass substrate to form thin films. Microstructural studies by FESEM indicated that ZnO/ PANI films showed porous structures with nano size grains. The thickness of the film increased from 55 to 256 nm, proportionate to increment of PANI. The presence of 2 adsorption peaks at ∼310 nm and ∼610 nm in UV-Vis spectrum proved that addition of PANI has modified the adsorption peak of ZnO film. Methanol vapour detection showed that addition of PANI into ZnO dramatically improved the sensing properties of the sensor. The sensors also exhibited good repeatability and reversibility. Sensor with the amount of PANI of 3.75 wt % exhibited the highest sensitivity with response and recovery time was about 10 and 80 s, respectively. The possible sensing mechanism of the sensor was also discussed in this article. (author)

Carbon Nanotube Thin Film Transistors for Flat Panel Display Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xuelei; Xia, Jiye; Dong, Guodong; Tian, Boyuan; Peng, Lianmao

2016-12-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising materials for both high performance transistors for high speed computing and thin film transistors for macroelectronics, which can provide more functions at low cost. Among macroelectronics applications, carbon nanotube thin film transistors (CNT-TFT) are expected to be used soon for backplanes in flat panel displays (FPDs) due to their superior performance. In this paper, we review the challenges of CNT-TFT technology for FPD applications. The device performance of state-of-the-art CNT-TFTs are compared with the requirements of TFTs for FPDs. Compatibility of the fabrication processes of CNT-TFTs and current TFT technologies are critically examined. Though CNT-TFT technology is not yet ready for backplane production line of FPDs, the challenges can be overcome by close collaboration between research institutes and FPD manufacturers in the short term.

ALD grown nanostructured ZnO thin films: Effect of substrate temperature on thickness and energy band gap

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javed Iqbal

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Nanostructured ZnO thin films with high transparency have been grown on glass substrate by atomic layer deposition at various temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C. Efforts have been made to observe the effect of substrate temperature on the thickness of the deposited thin films and its consequences on the energy band gap. A remarkably high growth rate of 0.56 nm per cycle at a substrate temperature of 200 °C for ZnO thin films have been achieved. This is the maximum growth rate for ALD deposited ZnO thin films ever reported so far to the best of our knowledge. The studies of field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry patterns confirm the deposition of uniform and high quality nanosturtured ZnO thin films which have a polycrystalline nature with preferential orientation along (100 plane. The thickness of the films deposited at different substrate temperatures was measured by ellipsometry and surface profiling system while the UV–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy studies have been used to evaluate the optical properties of the respective thin films. It has been observed that the thickness of the thin film depends on the substrate temperatures which ultimately affect the optical and structural parameters of the thin films.

Effects of Post Heat Treatments on ZnO Thin-Films Grown on Zn-coated Teflon Substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ikhyun; Nam, Giwoong; Lee, Cheoleon; Kim, Dongwhan; Choi, Hyonkwang; Kim, Yangsoo; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin Soo [Chonbuk National University, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Su [Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of); Son, Jeong-Sik [Kyungwoon University, Gumi (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

ZnO thin films were first grown on Zn-coated Teflon substrates using a spin-coating method, with various post-heating temperatures. The structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films were then investigated using field-effect scanning-electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The surface morphology of these ZnO thin films exhibited dendritic structures. With increasing post-heating temperature, all samples preferentially exhibited preferential c-axis orientation and increased residual tensile stress. All of the films exhibited preferential c-axis orientation, and the residual tensile stress of those increased with increasing post-heating temperature. The near-band-edge emission (NBE) peaks were red-shifted after post-heating treatment at 400 ℃. The intensity of the deep-level emission (DLE) peaks gradually decreased with increasing post- heating temperature. Moreover, the narrowest ‘full width at half maximum’ (FWHM) and the highest intensity ratio of the NBE to the DLE for thin films, were observed after post-heating at 400 ℃. The ZnO thin films fabricated with the 400 ℃ post-heating process provided the highest crystallinity and optical properties.

Combined effect of oxygen deficient point defects and Ni doping in radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposited ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, B., E-mail: biswajit.physics@gmail.com [Thin Film and Nano Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 700 032 Kolkata (India); Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology Agartala, Jirania 799046, Tripura (India); Das, N.S.; Chattopadhyay, K.K. [Thin Film and Nano Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 700 032 Kolkata (India)

2014-07-01

Ni doped ZnO thin films with oxygen deficiency have been synthesized on glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique using argon plasma. The combined effect of point defects generated due to oxygen vacancies and Ni doping on the optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films has been studied in this work. Ni doping concentrations were varied and the structural, optical and electrical properties of the films were studied as a function of doping concentrations. The films were characterized with X-ray diffractometer, UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. Oxygen deficient point defects (Schottky defects) made the ZnO thin film highly conducting while incorporation of Ni dopant made it more functional regarding their electrical and optical properties. The films were found to have tunable electrical conductivity with Ni doping concentrations. - Highlights: • ZnO thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique • Synthesis process was stimulated to introduce Schottky-type point defects. • Point defects and external doping of Ni made ZnO thin films more functional. • Point defect induced high electrical conductivity in ZnO thin film. • Significant shift in optical bandgap observed in ZnO with Ni doping concentrations.

Effects of preannealing temperature of ZnO thin films on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kao, M.C.; Chen, H.Z.; Young, S.L. [Hsiuping Institute of Technology, Department of Electronic Engineering, Taichung (China)

2010-03-15

The preferred (002) orientation zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline thin films have been deposited on FTO-coated glass substrates by sol-gel spin-coating technology and rapid thermal annealing for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The effects of preannealing temperature (100 and 300 C) on the microstructure, morphology and optical properties of ZnO thin films were studied. The ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The photoelectric performance of DSSC was studied by I-V curve and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), respectively. From the results, the intensities of (002) peaks of ZnO thin films increases with increasing preannealing temperature from 100 C to 300 C. The increase in pore size and surface area of ZnO films crystallized at the increased preannealing temperature contributed to the improvement on the absorption of N3 dye onto the films, the short-circuit photocurrent (J{sub sc}) and open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) of DSSC. The higher efficiency ({eta}) of 2.5% with J{sub sc} and V{sub oc} of 8.2 mA/cm{sup 2} and 0.64 V, respectively, was obtained by the ZnO film preannealed at 300 C. (orig.)

Ionized zinc vacancy mediated ferromagnetism in copper doped ZnO thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi-Yi Zhuo

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the origin of ferromagnetism in Cu-doped ZnO thin films. Room-temperature ferromagnetism is obtained in all the thin films when deposited at different oxygen partial pressure. An obviously enhanced peak corresponding to zinc vacancy is observed in the photoluminescence spectra, while the electrical spin resonance measurement implies the zinc vacancy is negative charged. After excluding the possibility of direct exchange mechanisms (via free carriers, we tentatively propose a quasi-indirect exchange model (via ionized zinc vacancy for Cu-doped ZnO system.

Optical and structural properties of thin films of ZnO at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayani, Zohra N.; Afzal, Tosif; Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Thin films of ZnO are prepared on glass substrates using dip-coating. • The X-ray diffraction showed that films are crystalline. • Optical measurements show that the film possesses high transmittance in visible region. • The transmission decreased with increased withdrawal speed. • The films has direct band gap in range 3.78-3.48 eV. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were prepared on glass substrate by sol–gel dip-coating method. The paper presents the properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited on soda-lime-glass substrate via dip-coating technique, using zinc acetate dehydrate and ethanol as raw materials. The effect of withdrawal speed on the crystalline structure, surface morphology and optical properties of the thin films has been investigated using XRD, SEM and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction study shows that all the films have hexagonal wurtzite structure with preferred orientation in (0 0 2) direction and transmission spectra showed highly transparent films with band gap ranging from 3.78 to 3.48 eV

Catalyst growth of single crystal aligned ZnO nanorods on ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Dongxu; Andreazza, Caroline; Andreazza, Pascal [Centre de Recherche sur la Matiere Divisee, CNRS-Universite d' Orleans, 1b rue de la Ferollerie, 45071 Orleans cedex 2 (France)

2005-02-01

One dimensional ZnO nanorods were successfully fabricated on Si substrates via a simple physical vapor-phase transport method at 950 C. A ZnO shell covered Au/Zn alloy is assumed as the nucleation site, then ZnO nanorods grow following a vapor-solid (VS) process. In order to guide the nanorod growth a c-axis oriented ZnO thin film and Au catalyst were first deposited on Si (100) surface. SEM images show nanorods grown on this substrate are vertical to the substrate surface. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Influence of annealing temperature on ZnO thin films grown by dual ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

In electrical characterization as well, when annealing temperature was increased .... of ZnO (002) peaks and (c) crystallite size and stress generation on ZnO thin films ... sufficient kinetic energy and surface mobility to occupy stable positions ...

Controlling growth rate anisotropy for formation of continuous ZnO thin films from seeded substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, R H; Slamovich, E B; Handwerker, C A

2013-01-01

Solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films are promising candidates for low-temperature-processable active layers in transparent thin film electronics. In this study, control of growth rate anisotropy using ZnO nanoparticle seeds, capping ions, and pH adjustment leads to a low-temperature (90 ° C) hydrothermal process for transparent and high-density ZnO thin films. The common 1D ZnO nanorod array was grown into a 2D continuous polycrystalline film using a short-time pure solution method. Growth rate anisotropy of ZnO crystals and the film morphology were tuned by varying the chloride (Cl − ) ion concentration and the initial pH of solutions of zinc nitrate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), and the competitive adsorption effects of Cl − ions and HMTA ligands on the anisotropic growth behavior of ZnO crystals were proposed. The lateral growth of nanorods constituting the film was promoted by lowering the solution pH to accelerate the hydrolysis of HMTA, thereby allowing the adsorption effects from Cl − to dominate. By optimizing the growth conditions, a dense ∼100 nm thickness film was fabricated in 15 min from a solution of [Cl − ]/[Zn 2+ ] = 1.5 and pH= 4.8 ± 0.1. This film shows >80% optical transmittance and a field-effect mobility of 2.730 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at zero back-gate bias. (paper)

Enhanced performance of a-IGZO thin-film transistors by forming AZO/IGZO heterojunction source/drain contacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Xiao; Fang, Guojia; Wan, Jiawei; Liu, Nishuang; Long, Hao; Wang, Haolin; Zhao, Xingzhong

2011-01-01

A low-cost Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin film was deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering with different Ar/O 2 flow ratios. The optical and electrical properties of an AZO film were investigated. A highly conductive AZO film was inserted between the amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) channel and the metal Al electrode to form a heterojunction source/drain contact, and bottom-gate amorphous a-IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a high κ HfON gate dielectric were fabricated. The AZO film reduced the source/drain contact resistivity down to 79 Ω cm. Enhanced device performance of a-IGZO TFT with Al/AZO bi-layer S/D electrodes (W/L = 500/40 µm) was achieved with a saturation mobility of 13.7 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , a threshold voltage of 0.6 V, an on-off current ratio of 4.7 × 10 6 , and a subthreshold gate voltage swing of 0.25 V dec −1 . It demonstrated the potential application of the AZO film as a promising S/D contact material for the fabrication of the high performance TFTs

Effect of R.F. Power to the Structural Properties of ZnO Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sin, N.D.M.; Rusop, M.

2011-01-01

The effect of RF power variation (100 watt∼400 watt ) on the zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films electrical, optical and structural properties were examined using current voltage (I-V) measurement, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM). ZnO thin films were prepared at room temperature in pure argon atmosphere by a RF magnetron sputtering using ZnO target. The resistivity of thin film show the lowest at 300 watt. The absorption coefficient spectra obtained from UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer measurement show all films have low absorbance in visible and near infrared (IR) region but have high UV absorption properties using UV-VIS spectrophotometer (JASCO 670) . Highly oriented ZnO thin films [002] direction were obtained by using Rigaku Ultima IV. (author)

Slow positron beam study of hydrogen ion implanted ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yi; Xue, Xudong; Wu, Yichu

2014-08-01

The effects of hydrogen related defect on the microstructure and optical property of ZnO thin films were investigated by slow positron beam, in combination with x-ray diffraction, infrared and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The defects were introduced by 90 keV proton irradiation with doses of 1×1015 and 1×1016 ions cm-2. Zn vacancy and OH bonding (VZn+OH) defect complex were identified in hydrogen implanted ZnO film by positron annihilation and infrared spectroscopy. The formation of these complexes led to lattice disorder in hydrogen implanted ZnO film and suppressed the luminescence process.

Synergistic effect of indium and gallium co-doping on the properties of RF sputtered ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Shaheera, M.; Girija, K. G.; Kaur, Manmeet; Geetha, V.; Debnath, A. K.; Karri, Malvika; Thota, Manoj Kumar; Vatsa, R. K.; Muthe, K. P.; Gadkari, S. C.

2018-04-01

ZnO thin films were synthesized using RF magnetron sputtering, with simultaneous incorporation of Indium (In) and Gallium (Ga). The structural, optical, chemical composition and surface morphology of the pure and co-doped (IGZO) thin films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD revealed that these films were oriented along c-axis with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The (002) diffraction peak in the co-doped sample was observed at 33.76° with a slight shift towards lower 2θ values as compared to pure ZnO. The surface morphology of the two thin films was observed to differ. For pure ZnO films, round grains were observed and for IGZO thin films round as well as rod type grains were observed. All thin films synthesized show excellent optical properties with more than 90% transmission in the visible region and band gap of the films is observed to decrease with co-doping. The co doping of In and Ga is therefore expected to provide a broad range optical and physical properties of ZnO thin films for a variety of optoelectronic applications.

Enhanced ZnO Thin-Film Transistor Performance Using Bilayer Gate Dielectrics

KAUST Repository

Alshammari, Fwzah Hamud; Nayak, Pradipta K.; Wang, Zhenwei; Alshareef, Husam N.

2016-01-01

We report ZnO TFTs using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer gate dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition. The saturation mobility of single layer Ta2O5 dielectric TFT was 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1, but increased to 13.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer dielectric with significantly lower leakage current and hysteresis. We show that point defects present in ZnO film, particularly VZn, are the main reason for the poor TFT performance with single layer dielectric, although interfacial roughness scattering effects cannot be ruled out. Our approach combines the high dielectric constant of Ta2O5 and the excellent Al2O3/ZnO interface quality, resulting in improved device performance. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

Enhanced ZnO Thin-Film Transistor Performance Using Bilayer Gate Dielectrics

KAUST Repository

Alshammari, Fwzah Hamud

2016-08-24

We report ZnO TFTs using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer gate dielectrics grown by atomic layer deposition. The saturation mobility of single layer Ta2O5 dielectric TFT was 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1, but increased to 13.3 cm2 V-1 s-1 using Al2O3/Ta2O5 bilayer dielectric with significantly lower leakage current and hysteresis. We show that point defects present in ZnO film, particularly VZn, are the main reason for the poor TFT performance with single layer dielectric, although interfacial roughness scattering effects cannot be ruled out. Our approach combines the high dielectric constant of Ta2O5 and the excellent Al2O3/ZnO interface quality, resulting in improved device performance. © 2016 American Chemical Society.

(0 0 2-oriented growth and morphologies of ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo Dongyun

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Zinc acetate was used as a starting material to prepare Zn-solutions from solvents and ligands with different boiling temperature. The ZnO thin films were prepared on Si(1 0 0 substrates by spin-coating method. The effect of baking temperature and boiling temperature of the solvents and ligands on their morphologies and orientation was investigated. The solvents and ligands with high boiling temperature were favorable for relaxation of mechanical stress to form the smooth ZnO thin films. As the solvents and ligands with low boiling temperature were used to prepare Zn-solutions, the prepared ZnO thin films showed (0 0 2 preferred orientation. As n-propanol, 2-methoxyethanol, 2-(methylaminoethanol and monoethanolamine were used to prepare Zn-solutions, highly (0 0 2-oriented ZnO thin films were formed by adjusting the baking temperature.

Mesoscale control of organic crystalline thin films: effects of film morphology on the performance of organic transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jaekyun; Park, Sungkyu [Chung-Ang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yonghoon [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

We report mesoscale control of small molecular 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) crystalline thin films by varying the solute concentration in the fluidic channel method. A stepwise increase in the TIPS-pentacene concentration in the solution enabled us to prepare highly-crystallized ribbons, thin films, and thick films in a mesoscale range, respectively. All three types of deposited films exhibited an in-plane crystalline nature of (001) direction being normal to the substrate as well as crystalline domain growth parallel to the direction of the receding meniscus inside the fluidic channel. In addition, the film's morphology and thickness were found to have a great influence on the field-effect mobility of the transistors, and the highest average and maximum mobilities were achieved from transistors with thin-film semiconductor channels.

Large-scale complementary macroelectronics using hybrid integration of carbon nanotubes and IGZO thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Haitian; Cao, Yu; Zhang, Jialu; Zhou, Chongwu

2014-06-13

Carbon nanotubes and metal oxide semiconductors have emerged as important materials for p-type and n-type thin-film transistors, respectively; however, realizing sophisticated macroelectronics operating in complementary mode has been challenging due to the difficulty in making n-type carbon nanotube transistors and p-type metal oxide transistors. Here we report a hybrid integration of p-type carbon nanotube and n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors to achieve large-scale (>1,000 transistors for 501-stage ring oscillators) complementary macroelectronic circuits on both rigid and flexible substrates. This approach of hybrid integration allows us to combine the strength of p-type carbon nanotube and n-type indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors, and offers high device yield and low device variation. Based on this approach, we report the successful demonstration of various logic gates (inverter, NAND and NOR gates), ring oscillators (from 51 stages to 501 stages) and dynamic logic circuits (dynamic inverter, NAND and NOR gates).

Growth and characterization of ZnO thin films prepared by electrodeposition technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fahoume, M.; Maghfoul, O.; Aggour, M. [L.P.M.C., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Ibn Tofail, BP. 133-14000 Kenitra (Morocco); Hartiti, B. [L.P.M.A.E.R., Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, B.P. 146 Mohammedia (Morocco); Chraibi, F.; Ennaoui, A. [L.P.M., Faculte des Sciences, Universite Mohammed V, BP.1014 Rabat (Morocco)

2006-06-15

ZnO thin films were deposited on either indium tin oxide-coated glass or copper substrate by the electrodeposition process, using zinc chloride and flowing air as precursors. The effect of pH on the structural and morphological ZnO films was studied and the optimum deposition conditions have been outlined. The kinetics of the growth of the films have been investigated. We note that the rate of deposition of ZnO in an acidic solution was larger than in a basic solution. The structure of the films was studied using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface morphology and thickness of the films were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the films are polycrystalline with hexagonal crystal structure (zincite) at pH 4. The optical transmittance of ZnO decreases with varying film thickness. The optical energy bandgap was found to be 3.26eV. (author)

Wavy channel Thin Film Transistor for area efficient, high performance and low power applications

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir

2014-06-01

We report a new Thin Film Transistor (TFT) architecture that allows expansion of the device width using wavy (continuous without separation) fin features - termed as wavy channel (WC) architecture. This architecture allows expansion of transistor width in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, thus not consuming extra chip area, achieving area efficiency. The devices have shown for a 13% increase in the device width resulting in a maximum 2.4x increase in \\'ON\\' current value of the WCTFT, when compared to planar devices consuming the same chip area, while using atomic layer deposition based zinc oxide (ZnO) as the channel material. The WCTFT devices also maintain similar \\'OFF\\' current value, similar to 100 pA, when compared to planar devices, thus not compromising on power consumption for performance which usually happens with larger width devices. This work offers a pragmatic opportunity to use WCTFTs as backplane circuitry for large-area high-resolution display applications without any limitation any TFT materials.

ZnO thin films on single carbon fibres fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krämer, André; Engel, Sebastian [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Sangiorgi, Nicola [Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTEC), via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, RA (Italy); Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome (Italy); Sanson, Alessandra [Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTEC), via Granarolo 64, 48018 Faenza, RA (Italy); Bartolomé, Jose F. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Gräf, Stephan, E-mail: stephan.graef@uni-jena.de [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Müller, Frank A. [Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena (Germany); Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7a, 07743 Jena (Germany)

2017-03-31

Highlights: • Carbon fibres were entirely coated with thin films consisting of aligned ZnO crystals. • A Q-switched CO2 laser was utilised as radiation source. • Suitability of ZnO thin films on carbon fibres as photo anodes for DSSC was studied. - Abstract: Single carbon fibres were 360° coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films by pulsed laser deposition using a Q-switched CO{sub 2} laser with a pulse duration τ ≈ 300 ns, a wavelength λ = 10.59 μm, a repetition frequency f{sub rep} = 800 Hz and a peak power P{sub peak} = 15 kW in combination with a 3-step-deposition technique. In a first set of experiments, the deposition process was optimised by investigating the crystallinity of ZnO films on silicon and polished stainless steel substrates. Here, the influence of the substrate temperature and of the oxygen partial pressure of the background gas were characterised by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. ZnO coated carbon fibres and conductive glass sheets were used to prepare photo anodes for dye-sensitised solar cells in order to investigate their suitability for energy conversion devices. To obtain a deeper insight of the electronic behaviour at the interface between ZnO and substrate I–V measurements were performed.

Interfacial passivation of CdS layer to CdSe quantum dots-sensitized electrodeposited ZnO nanowire thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jingbo; Sun, Chuanzhen; Bai, Shouli; Luo, Ruixian; Chen, Aifan; Sun, Lina; Lin, Yuan

2013-01-01

ZnO porous thin films with nanowire structure were deposited by the one-step electrochemical deposition method. And a CdS layer was coated on the as-deposited ZnO nanowire thin films by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method to passivate surface states. Then the films were further sensitized by CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to serve as a photoanode for fabricating quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The effect of the CdS interfacial passivation layer on the performance of the QDSSCs was systematically investigated by varying the SILAR cycle number and heating the passivation layer. The amorphous CdS layer with an optimized thickness can effectively suppress the recombination of the injected electrons with holes on QDs and the redox electrolyte. The newly formed CdS layer on the surface of the ZnO nanowire thin film obviously prolongs the electron lifetime in the passivated ZnO nanoporous thin film because of the lower surface trap density in the ZnO nanowires after CdS deposition, which is favorable to the higher short-circuit photocurrent density (J sc ). For the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film with the interfacial passivation layer, the J sc and conversion efficiency can reach a maximum of 8.36 mA cm −2 and 2.36%, respectively. The conversion efficiency was improved by 83.47% compared with that of the cell based on the CdSe QDs-sensitized ZnO nanoporous thin film without CdS interfacial passivation (0.39%)

Enhanced optical band-gap of ZnO thin films by sol-gel technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raghu, P., E-mail: dpr3270@gmail.com; Naveen, C. S.; Shailaja, J.; Mahesh, H. M., E-mail: hm-mahesh@rediffmail.com [Thin Film and Solar Cell Laboratory, Department of Electronic Science, Bangalore University, Jnanabharathi, Bangalore -560056 (India)

2016-05-06

Transparent ZnO thin films were prepared using different molar concentration (0.1 M, 0.2 M & 0.8 M) of zinc acetate on soda lime glass substrates by the sol-gel spin coating technique. The optical properties revealed that the transmittance found to decrease with increase in molar concentration. Absorption edge showed that the higher concentration film has increasingly red shifted. An increased band gap energy of the thin films was found to be direct allowed transition of ∼3.9 eV exhibiting their relevance for photovoltaic applications. The extinction coefficient analysis revealed maximum transmittance with negligible absorption coefficient in the respective wavelengths. The results of ZnO thin film prepared by sol-gel technique reveal its suitability for optoelectronics and as a window layer in solar cell applications.

Temperature dependent optical properties of (002) oriented ZnO thin film using surface plasmon resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Shibu; Mehan, Navina; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2009-08-01

Temperature dependent optical properties of c-axis oriented ZnO thin film were investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. SPR data for double layer (prism-Au-ZnO-air) and single layer (prism-Au-air) systems were taken over a temperature range (300-525 K). Dielectric constant at optical frequency and real part of refractive index of the ZnO film shows an increase with temperature. The bandgap of the oriented ZnO film was found to decrease with rise in temperature. The work indicates a promising application of the system as a temperature sensor and highlights an efficient scientific tool to study optical properties of thin film under varying ambient conditions.

Characteristics of hydrogen co-doped ZnO : Al thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S H; Lee, T S; Lee, K S; Cheong, B; Kim, W M; Kim, Y D

2008-01-01

ZnO films co-doped with H and Al (HAZO) were prepared by sputtering ZnO targets containing 1 wt% Al 2 O 3 on Corning glass at a substrate temperature of 150 deg. C with Ar and H 2 /Ar gas mixtures. The effects of hydrogen addition to Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films with low Al content on the electrical, the optical and the structural properties of the as-grown films as well as the vacuum- and air-annealed films were examined. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis showed that the hydrogen concentration increased with increasing H 2 in sputter gas. For the as-deposited films, the free carrier number increased with increasing H 2 . The Hall mobility increased at low hydrogen content, reaching a maximum before decreasing with a further increase of H 2 content in sputter gas. Annealing at 300 deg. C resulted in the removal of hydrogen, causing a decrease in the carrier concentration. It was shown that hydrogen might exist as single isolated interstitial hydrogen bound with oxygen, thereby acting like an anionic dopant. Also, it was shown that the addition of hydrogen to ZnO films doped with low metallic dopant concentration could yield transparent conducting films with very low absorption loss as well as with proper electrical properties, which is suitable for thin film solar cell applications

Optoelectronic properties of doped hydrothermal ZnO thin films

KAUST Repository

Mughal, Asad J.

2017-03-10

Group III impurity doped ZnO thin films were deposited on MgAl2O3 substrates using a simple low temperature two-step deposition method involving atomic layer deposition and hydrothermal epitaxy. Films with varying concentrations of either Al, Ga, or In were evaluated for their optoelectronic properties. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was used to determine the concentration of dopants within the ZnO films. While Al and Ga-doped films showed linear incorporation rates with the addition of precursors salts in the hydrothermal growth solution, In-doped films were shown to saturate at relatively low concentrations. It was found that Ga-doped films showed the best performance in terms of electrical resistivity and optical absorbance when compared to those doped with In or Al, with a resistivity as low as 1.9 mΩ cm and an optical absorption coefficient of 441 cm−1 at 450 nm.

Effects of Post- Heat Treatment of Nanocrystalline ZnO Thin Films deposited on Zn-Deposited FTO Substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ikhyun; Kim, Younggyu; Nam, Giwoong; Leem, Jae-Young [Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The effects of heat-treatment temperature on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films were investigated with field-effect scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The ZnO thin films were grown on Zn-deposited fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by sol-gel spin coating. The SEM images of the samples showed that their surfaces had a mountain-chain-like structure. The film annealed at 400 ℃ had the highest degree of alignment along the c-axis, and its residual stress was close to zero. The PL spectra of the ZnO thin films consisted of sharp near-band-edge emissions (NBE) and broad deep-level emissions (DLE) in the visible range. The DLE peaks exhibited a green-to-red shift with an increase in the temperature. The highest INBE/IDLE ratio was observed in the film annealed at 400 ℃. Thus, the optimal temperature for growing high-quality ZnO thin films on Zn-deposited FTO substrates is 400 ℃.

Annealing effect on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO bilayer thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M. I.; Imran, S.; Shahnawaz; Saleem, Muhammad; Ur Rehman, Saif

2018-03-01

The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, morphological and electrical properties of TiO2/ZnO (TZ) thin films has been observed. Bilayer thin films of TiO2/ZnO are deposited on FTO glass substrate by spray pyrolysis method. After deposition, these films are annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K. XRD shows that TiO2 is present in anatase phase only and ZnO is present in hexagonal phase. No other phases of TiO2 and ZnO are present. Also, there is no evidence of other compounds like Zn-Ti etc. It also shows that the average grain size of TiO2/ZnO films is increased by increasing annealing temperature. AFM (Atomic force microscope) showed that the average roughness of TiO2/ZnO films is decreased at temperature 573-723 K and then increased at 873 K. The calculated average sheet resistivity of thin films annealed at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K is 152.28 × 102, 75.29 × 102 and 63.34 × 102 ohm-m respectively. This decrease in sheet resistivity might be due to the increment of electron concentration with increasing thickness and the temperature of thin films.

Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Doped ZnO Thin Films by SILAR Deposition Method

Science.gov (United States)

Radha, R.; Sakthivelu, A.; Pradhabhan, D.

2016-08-01

Molybdenum (Mo) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on the glass substrate by Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) deposition method. The effect of Mo dopant concentration of 5, 6.6 and 10 mol% on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of n-type Mo doped ZnO films was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed that the Mo doped ZnO thin films were polycrystalline with wurtzite structure. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) studies shows that the surface morphology of the films changes with Mo doping. A blue shift of the optical band gap was observed in the optical studies. Effect of Mo dopant concentration on electrical conductivity was studied and it shows comparatively high electrical conductivity at 10 mol% of Mo doping concentration.

Characteristics of thin-film transistors based on silicon nitride passivation by excimer laser direct patterning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chao-Nan; Huang, Jung-Jie

2013-01-01

This study explored the removal of silicon nitride using KrF laser ablation technology with a high threshold fluence of 990 mJ/cm 2 . This technology was used for contact hole patterning to fabricate SiN x -passivation-based amorphous-silicon thin films in a transistor device. Compared to the photolithography process, laser direct patterning using KrF laser ablation technology can reduce the number of process steps by at least three. Experimental results showed that the mobility and threshold voltages of thin film transistors patterned using the laser process were 0.16 cm 2 /V-sec and 0.2 V, respectively. The device performance and the test results of gate voltage stress reliability demonstrated that laser direct patterning is a promising alternative to photolithography in the panel manufacturing of thin-film transistors for liquid crystal displays. - Highlights: ► KrF laser ablation technology is used to remove silicon nitride. ► A simple method for direct patterning contact-hole in thin-film-transistor device. ► Laser technology reduced processing by at least three steps

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Co-doped ZnO thin films grown by sol-gel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kayani, Zohra Nazir; Shah, Iqra; Zulfiqar, Bareera; Sabah, Aneeqa [Lahore College for Women Univ., Lahore (Pakistan); Riaz, Saira; Naseem, Shahzad [Univ. of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan). Centre of Excellence in Solid State Physics

2018-04-01

Cobalt-doped ZnO thin films have been deposited using a sol-gel route by changing the number of coats on the substrate from 6 to 18. This project deals with various film thicknesses by increasing the number of deposited coats. The effect of thickness on structural, magnetic, surface morphology and optical properties of Co-doped ZnO thin film was studied. The crystal structure of the Co-doped ZnO films was investigated by X-ray diffraction. The films have polycrystalline wurtzite hexagonal structures. A Co{sup 2+} ion takes the place of a Zn{sup 2+} ion in the lattice without creating any distortion in its hexagonal wurtzite structure. An examination of the optical transmission spectra showed that the energy band gap of the Co-doped ZnO films increased from 3.87 to 3.97 eV with an increase in the number of coatings on the substrate. Ferromagnetic behaviour was confirmed by measurements using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The surface morphology of thin films was assessed by scanning electron microscope. The grain size on the surface of thin films increased with an increase in the number of coats.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-López, Manuel Angel Quevedo

2011-06-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Thin film transistors for flexible electronics: Contacts, dielectrics and semiconductors

KAUST Repository

Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel Quevedo; Wondmagegn, Wudyalew T.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Ramí rez-Bon, Rafael; Gnade, Bruce E.

2011-01-01

The development of low temperature, thin film transistor processes that have enabled flexible displays also present opportunities for flexible electronics and flexible integrated systems. Of particular interest are possible applications in flexible sensor systems for unattended ground sensors, smart medical bandages, electronic ID tags for geo-location, conformal antennas, radiation detectors, etc. In this paper, we review the impact of gate dielectrics, contacts and semiconductor materials on thin film transistors for flexible electronics applications. We present our recent results to fully integrate hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductors comprising inorganic and organic-based materials. In particular, we demonstrate novel gate dielectric stacks and semiconducting materials. The impact of source and drain contacts on device performance is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers.

Neuromorphic transistor achieved by redox reaction of WO3 thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Takashi; Jayabalan, Manikandan; Kawamura, Kinya; Takayanagi, Makoto; Higuchi, Tohru; Jayavel, Ramasamy; Terabe, Kazuya

2018-04-01

An all-solid-state neuromorphic transistor composed of a WO3 thin film and a proton-conducting electrolyte was fabricated for application to next-generation information and communication technology including artificial neural networks. The drain current exhibited a 4-order-of-magnitude increment by redox reaction of the WO3 thin film owing to proton migration. Learning and forgetting characteristics were well tuned by the gate control of WO3 redox reactions owing to the separation of the current reading path and pulse application path in the transistor structure. This technique should lead to the development of versatile and low-power-consumption neuromorphic devices.

Formation mechanisms of metallic Zn nanodots by using ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuk, J. M.; Lee, J. Y.; Kim, Y.; No, Y. S.; Kim, T. W.; Choi, W. K.

2010-01-01

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy results showed that metallic Zn nanodots (NDs) were fabricated through transformation of ZnO thin films by deposition of SiO x on ZnO/n-Si (100) heterostructures. The Zn NDs with various sizes and densities were formed due to the occurrence of the mass diffusion of atoms along the grain boundaries in the ZnO thin films. The fabrication mechanisms of metallic Zn NDs through transformation of ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates are described on the basis of the experimental results.

Highly stable thin film transistors using multilayer channel structure

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Wang, Zhenwei; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

We report highly stable gate-bias stress performance of thin film transistors (TFTs) using zinc oxide (ZnO)/hafnium oxide (HfO2) multilayer structure as the channel layer. Positive and negative gate-bias stress stability of the TFTs was measured

Mott-Schottky analysis of thin ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windisch, Charles F. Jr.; Exarhos, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

Thin ZnO films, both native and doped with secondary metal ions, have been prepared by sputter deposition and also by casting from solutions containing a range of precursor salts. The conductivity and infrared reflectivity of these films are subsequently enhanced chemically following treatment in H 2 gas at 400 degree sign C or by cathodic electrochemical treatment in a neutral (pH=7) phosphate buffer solution. While Hall-type measurements usually are used to evaluate the electrical properties of such films, the present study investigated whether a conventional Mott-Schottky analysis could be used to monitor the change in concentration of free carriers in these films before and after chemical and electrochemical reduction. The Mott-Schottky approach would be particularly appropriate for electrochemically modified films since the measurements could be made in the same electrolyte used for the post-deposition electrochemical processing. Results of studies on sputtered pure ZnO films in ferricyanide solution were promising. Mott-Schottky plots were linear and gave free carrier concentrations typical for undoped semiconductors. Film thicknesses estimated from the Mott-Schottky data were also reasonably close to thicknesses calculated from reflectance measurements. Studies on solution-deposited films were less successful. Mott-Schottky plots were nonlinear, apparently due to film porosity. A combination of dc polarization and atomic force microscopy measurements confirmed this conclusion. The results suggest that Mott-Schottky analysis would be suitable for characterizing solution-deposited ZnO films only after extensive modeling was performed to incorporate the effects of film porosity on the characteristics of the space-charge region of the semiconductor. (c) 2000 American Vacuum Society

Studies on nonvolatile resistance memory switching in ZnO thin films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Six decades of research on ZnO has recently sprouted a new branch in the domain of resistive random access memories. Highly resistive and c-axis oriented ZnO thin films were grown by us using d.c. discharge assisted pulsed laser deposition on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates at room temperature. The resistive switching ...

Balancing Hole and Electron Conduction in Ambipolar Split-Gate Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Hocheon; Ghittorelli, Matteo; Lee, Dong-Kyu; Smits, Edsger C P; Gelinck, Gerwin H; Ahn, Hyungju; Lee, Han-Koo; Torricelli, Fabrizio; Kim, Jae-Joon

2017-07-10

Complementary organic electronics is a key enabling technology for the development of new applications including smart ubiquitous sensors, wearable electronics, and healthcare devices. High-performance, high-functionality and reliable complementary circuits require n- and p-type thin-film transistors with balanced characteristics. Recent advancements in ambipolar organic transistors in terms of semiconductor and device engineering demonstrate the great potential of this route but, unfortunately, the actual development of ambipolar organic complementary electronics is currently hampered by the uneven electron (n-type) and hole (p-type) conduction in ambipolar organic transistors. Here we show ambipolar organic thin-film transistors with balanced n-type and p-type operation. By manipulating air exposure and vacuum annealing conditions, we show that well-balanced electron and hole transport properties can be easily obtained. The method is used to control hole and electron conductions in split-gate transistors based on a solution-processed donor-acceptor semiconducting polymer. Complementary logic inverters with balanced charging and discharging characteristics are demonstrated. These findings may open up new opportunities for the rational design of complementary electronics based on ambipolar organic transistors.

Fabrication of nanostructured Al-doped ZnO thin film for methane sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shafura, A. K., E-mail: shafura@ymail.com; Azhar, N. E. I.; Uzer, M.; Mamat, M. H. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Sin, N. D. Md. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Johor, Kampus Pasir Gudang, 81750 Masai, Johor (Malaysia); Saurdi, I. [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak, Kampus Kota Samarahan Jalan Meranek, Sarawak (Malaysia); Shuhaimi, A. [Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University ofMalaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Alrokayan, Salman A. H.; Khan, Haseeb A. [Research Chair of Targeting and Treatment Cancer Using Nanoparticles, Department Of Biochemistry, College Of Science, King Saud University, P.O: 2454 Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Rusop, M., E-mail: nanouitm@gmail.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); NANO-SciTech Centre (NST), Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-07-06

CH{sub 4} gas sensor was fabricated using spin-coating method of the nanostructured ZnO thin film. Effect of annealing temperature on the electrical and structural properties of the film was investigated. Dense nanostructured ZnO film are obtained at higher annealing temperature. The optimal condition of annealing temperature is 500°C which has conductivity and sensitivity value of 3.3 × 10{sup −3} S/cm and 11.5%, respectively.

Microwave Characterization of Ba-Substituted PZT and ZnO Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierno, Davide; Dekkers, Matthijn; Wittendorp, Paul; Sun, Xiao; Bayer, Samuel C; King, Seth T; Van Elshocht, Sven; Heyns, Marc; Radu, Iuliana P; Adelmann, Christoph

2018-05-01

The microwave dielectric properties of (Ba 0.1 Pb 0.9 )(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (BPZT) and ZnO thin films with thicknesses below were investigated. No significant dielectric relaxation was observed for both BPZT and ZnO up to 30 GHz. The intrinsic dielectric constant of BPZT was as high as 980 at 30 GHz. The absence of strong dielectric dispersion and loss peaks in the studied frequency range can be linked to the small grain diameters in these ultrathin films.

Defect studies of thin ZnO films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlček, M; Čížek, J; Procházka, I; Novotný, M; Bulíř, J; Lančok, J; Anwand, W; Brauer, G; Mosnier, J-P

2014-01-01

Thin ZnO films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on four different substrates: sapphire (0 0 0 1), MgO (1 0 0), fused silica and nanocrystalline synthetic diamond. Defect studies by slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) revealed significantly higher concentration of defects in the studied films when compared to a bulk ZnO single crystal. The concentration of defects in the films deposited on single crystal sapphire and MgO substrates is higher than in the films deposited on amorphous fused silica substrate and nanocrystalline synthetic diamond. Furthermore, the effect of deposition temperature on film quality was investigated in ZnO films deposited on synthetic diamond substrates. Defect studies performed by SPIS revealed that the concentration of defects firstly decreases with increasing deposition temperature, but at too high deposition temperatures it increases again. The lowest concentration of defects was found in the film deposited at 450° C.

Wavy channel thin film transistor architecture for area efficient, high performance and low power displays

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir

2013-12-23

We demonstrate a new thin film transistor (TFT) architecture that allows expansion of the device width using continuous fin features - termed as wavy channel (WC) architecture. This architecture allows expansion of transistor width in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, thus not consuming extra chip area, achieving area efficiency. The devices have shown for a 13% increase in the device width resulting in a maximum 2.5× increase in \\'ON\\' current value of the WCTFT, when compared to planar devices consuming the same chip area, while using atomic layer deposition based zinc oxide (ZnO) as the channel material. The WCTFT devices also maintain similar \\'OFF\\' current value, ~100 pA, when compared to planar devices, thus not compromising on power consumption for performance which usually happens with larger width devices. This work offers an interesting opportunity to use WCTFTs as backplane circuitry for large-area high-resolution display applications. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tin oxide transparent thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Presley, R E; Munsee, C L; Park, C-H; Hong, D; Wager, J F; Keszler, D A

2004-01-01

A SnO 2 transparent thin-film transistor (TTFT) is demonstrated. The SnO 2 channel layer is deposited by RF magnetron sputtering and then rapid thermal annealed in O 2 at 600 deg. C. The TTFT is highly transparent, and enhancement-mode behaviour is achieved by employing a very thin channel layer (10-20 nm). Maximum field-effect mobilities of 0.8 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 2.0 cm 2 V -1 s -1 are obtained for enhancement- and depletion-mode devices, respectively. The transparent nature and the large drain current on-to-off ratio of 10 5 associated with the enhancement-mode behaviour of these devices may prove useful for novel gas-sensor applications

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials as semiconducting channels in thin-film field-effect transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Kagan; Mitzi; Dimitrakopoulos

1999-10-29

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials promise both the superior carrier mobility of inorganic semiconductors and the processability of organic materials. A thin-film field-effect transistor having an organic-inorganic hybrid material as the semiconducting channel was demonstrated. Hybrids based on the perovskite structure crystallize from solution to form oriented molecular-scale composites of alternating organic and inorganic sheets. Spin-coated thin films of the semiconducting perovskite (C(6)H(5)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) form the conducting channel, with field-effect mobilities of 0.6 square centimeters per volt-second and current modulation greater than 10(4). Molecular engineering of the organic and inorganic components of the hybrids is expected to further improve device performance for low-cost thin-film transistors.

Effect of different sol concentrations on the properties of nanocrystalline ZnO thin films grown on FTO substrates by sol-gel spin-coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ikhyun; Kim, Younggyu; Nam, Giwoong; Kim, Dongwan; Park, Minju; Kim, Haeun; Lee, Wookbin; Leem, Jaeyoung; Kim, Jongsu; Kim, Jin Soo

2014-01-01

Nanocrystalline ZnO thin films grown on fluorine-doped tinoxide (FTO) substrates were fabricated using the spin-coating method. The structural and the optical properties of the ZnO thin films prepared using different sol concentrations were investigated by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) measurements, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry. The surface morphology of the ZnO thin films, as observed in the SEM images, exhibited a mountain-chain structure. XRD results indicated that the thin films were preferentially orientated along the direction of the c-axis and that the grain size of the ZnO thin films increased with increasing sol concentration. The PL spectra showed a strong ultraviolet emission peak at 3.22 eV and a broad orange emission peak at 2.0 eV. The intensities of deep-level emission (DLE) gradually increased with increasing sol concentration from 0.4 to 1.0 M. The transmittance spectra of the ZnO thin films showed that the ZnO thin films were transparent (∼85%) in the visible region and exhibited sharp absorption edges at 375 nm. Thus, The Urbach energy of ZnO thin films decreased with increasing sol concentration.

Effect of Er3+ doping on structural, morphological and photocatalytical properties of ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Bouhouche, S.; Bensouici, F.; Toubane, M.; Azizi, A.; Otmani, A.; Chebout, K.; Kezzoula, F.; Tala-Ighil, R.; Bououdina, M.

2018-05-01

In this research work, structure, microstructure, optical and photocatalytic properties of undoped and Erbium doped nanostructured ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel dip-coating are investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the deposited films crystallize within the hexagonal wurtzite-type structure with a preferential growth orientation along (002) plane. Morphological observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal important influence of Er concentration; displaying homogeneous and dense aspect for undoped to 0.3% then grid-like morphology for 0.4 and 0.5%. UV/vis/NIR transmittance spectroscopy spectra display a transmittance over 70%, and small variation in the energy gap energy 3.263–3.278 eV. Wettability test of ZnO thin films surface ranges from hydrophilic aspect for pure ZnO to hydrophobic one for Er doped ZnO, and the contact angle is found to increase from 58.7° for pure ZnO up to 98.4° for 0.4% Er doped ZnO. The photocatalytic activity measurements evaluated using the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light irradiation demonstrate that undoped ZnO film shows higher photocatalytic activity compared to Er doped ZnO films, which may be attributed to the deterioration of films’crystallinity resulting in lower transmittance.

A comparative study of ultraviolet photoconductivity relaxation in zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by different techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Gupta, Vinay

2012-01-01

Photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by three different techniques namely rf diode sputtering, rf magnetron sputtering, and electrophoretic deposition has been investigated in the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. A significant variation in the crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin film with change in growth kinetics suggest that the presence of defect centers and their density govern the photodetector relaxation properties. A relatively low density of traps compared to the true quantum yield is found very crucial for the realization of practical ZnO thin film based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector.

A comparative study of ultraviolet photoconductivity relaxation in zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by different techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007 (India)

2012-05-15

Photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by three different techniques namely rf diode sputtering, rf magnetron sputtering, and electrophoretic deposition has been investigated in the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) configuration. A significant variation in the crystallinity, surface morphology, and photoresponse characteristics of ZnO thin film with change in growth kinetics suggest that the presence of defect centers and their density govern the photodetector relaxation properties. A relatively low density of traps compared to the true quantum yield is found very crucial for the realization of practical ZnO thin film based ultraviolet (UV) photodetector.

Excimer laser processing of ZnO thin films prepared by the sol-gel process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winfield, R.J.; Koh, L.H.K.; O'Brien, Shane; Crean, Gabriel M.

2007-01-01

ZnO thin films were prepared on soda-lime glass from a single spin-coating deposition of a sol-gel prepared with anhydrous zinc acetate [Zn(C 2 H 3 O 2 ) 2 ], monoethanolamine [H 2 NC 2 H 4 OH] and isopropanol. The deposited films were dried at 50 and 300 deg. C. X-ray analysis showed that the films were amorphous. Laser annealing was performed using an excimer laser. The laser pulse repetition rate was 25 Hz with a pulse energy of 5.9 mJ, giving a fluence of 225 mJ cm -2 on the ZnO film. Typically, five laser pulses per unit area of the film were used. After laser processing, the hexagonal wurtzite phase of zinc oxide was observed from X-ray diffraction pattern analysis. The thin films had a transparency of greater than 70% in the visible region. The optical band-gap energy was 3.454 eV. Scanning electron microscopy and profilometry analysis highlighted the change in morphology that occurred as a result of laser processing. This comparative study shows that our sol-gel processing route differs significantly from ZnO sol-gel films prepared by conventional furnace annealing which requires temperatures above 450 deg. C for the formation of crystalline ZnO

Photovoltaic properties of undoped ZnO thin films prepared by the spray pyrolysis technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikhmayies, S.J. [Applied Science Private Univ., Amman (Jordan). Dept. of Physics; Abu El-Haija, N.M.; Ahmad-Bitar, R.N. [Jordan Univ., Amman (Jordan). Dept. of Physics

2009-07-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) can be used as a window material, transparent electrode and active layer in different types of solar cells, UV emitters, and UV sensors. In addition to being low cost, ZnO is more abundant than indium tin oxide. ZnO is non toxic and has a high chemical stability in reduction environments. When ZnO films are made without any intentional doping, they exhibit n-type conductivity. ZnO thin films can be prepared by reactive sputtering, laser ablation, chemical-vapour deposition, laser molecular-beam epitaxy, thermal evaporation, sol-gel, atomic layer deposition and spray pyrolysis, with the latter being simple, inexpensive and adaptable to large area depositions. In this work ZnCl{sub 2} was used as a source of Zn where it was dissolved in distilled water. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the films were investigated due to their important characteristic for solar cell applications. Polycrystalline ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis using a home-made spraying system at substrate temperature of 450 degrees C. The films were characterized by recording and analyzing their I-V plots, their transmittance, X-ray diffraction and SEM micrographs. There resistivity was found to be about 200 ohms per cm and their bandgap energy about 3.27 eV. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure and are highly ordered with a preferential orientation (002). SEM images revealed that the substrates are continuously covered and the surface of the film is uniform. 16 refs., 4 figs.

Sensitivity enhancement of metal oxide thin film transistor with back gate biasing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dam, V.A.T.; Blauw, M.A.; Brongersma, S.H.; Crego-Calama, M.

2011-01-01

In this work, a room-temperature sensing device for detecting carbon monoxide using a ZnO thin film is presented. The ZnO layer (thickness close to the Debye length), which has a polycrystalline structure, is deposited with atomic-layer deposition (ALD) on an Al2O3/Si substrate. The operating

Cycling behaviour of sponge-like nanostructured ZnO as thin-film Li-ion battery anodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garino, Nadia; Lamberti, Andrea; Gazia, Rossana; Chiodoni, Angelica; Gerbaldi, Claudio

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Zn is thermally oxidized in ambient air to obtain sponge-like ZnO film. • Polycrystalline, transparent, porous thin film is obtained. • Film exhibits stabile specific capacity (∼300 mAh g −1 ) after prolonged cycling. • Sponge-like ZnO film shows promising prospects as Li-ion battery anode. - Abstract: Single phase wurtzitic porous ZnO thin films are obtained by a simple two-step method, involving the sputtering deposition of a sponge-like metallic Zn layer, followed by a moderately low temperature treatment for the complete zinc oxidation. Thanks to its 3D nanostructuration, the superimposition of small branches able to grow in length almost isotropically and forming a complex topography, sponge-like ZnO can combine the fast transport properties of one dimensional material and the high surface area usually provided by nanocrystalline electrodes. When galvanostatically tested in lithium cell, after the initial decay, it can provide an almost stable specific capacity higher than 50 μAh cm −2 after prolonged cycling at estimated 0.7 C, with very high Coulombic efficiency

Cycling behaviour of sponge-like nanostructured ZnO as thin-film Li-ion battery anodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garino, Nadia, E-mail: nadia.garino@iit.it [Center for Space Human Robotics @Polito, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento, 21, 10129 Turin (Italy); Lamberti, Andrea; Gazia, Rossana; Chiodoni, Angelica [Center for Space Human Robotics @Polito, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento, 21, 10129 Turin (Italy); Gerbaldi, Claudio, E-mail: claudio.gerbaldi@polito.it [Center for Space Human Robotics @Polito, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento, 21, 10129 Turin (Italy); GAME Lab, Department of Applied Science and Technology – DISAT, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin (Italy)

2014-12-05

Highlights: • Zn is thermally oxidized in ambient air to obtain sponge-like ZnO film. • Polycrystalline, transparent, porous thin film is obtained. • Film exhibits stabile specific capacity (∼300 mAh g{sup −1}) after prolonged cycling. • Sponge-like ZnO film shows promising prospects as Li-ion battery anode. - Abstract: Single phase wurtzitic porous ZnO thin films are obtained by a simple two-step method, involving the sputtering deposition of a sponge-like metallic Zn layer, followed by a moderately low temperature treatment for the complete zinc oxidation. Thanks to its 3D nanostructuration, the superimposition of small branches able to grow in length almost isotropically and forming a complex topography, sponge-like ZnO can combine the fast transport properties of one dimensional material and the high surface area usually provided by nanocrystalline electrodes. When galvanostatically tested in lithium cell, after the initial decay, it can provide an almost stable specific capacity higher than 50 μAh cm{sup −2} after prolonged cycling at estimated 0.7 C, with very high Coulombic efficiency.

Title: Using Alignment and 2D Network Simulations to Study Charge Transport Through Doped ZnO Nanowire Thin Film Electrodes

KAUST Repository

Phadke, Sujay

2011-09-30

Factors affecting charge transport through ZnO nanowire mat films were studied by aligning ZnO nanowires on substrates and coupling experimental measurements with 2D nanowire network simulations. Gallium doped ZnO nanowires were aligned on thermally oxidized silicon wafer by shearing a nanowire dispersion in ethanol. Sheet resistances of nanowire thin films that had current flowing parallel to nanowire alignment direction were compared to thin films that had current flowing perpendicular to nanowire alignment direction. Perpendicular devices showed ∼5 fold greater sheet resistance than parallel devices supporting the hypothesis that aligning nanowires would increase conductivity of ZnO nanowire electrodes. 2-D nanowire network simulations of thin films showed that the device sheet resistance was dominated by inter-wire contact resistance. For a given resistivity of ZnO nanowires, the thin film electrodes would have the lowest possible sheet resistance if the inter-wire contact resistance was one order of magnitude lower than the single nanowire resistance. Simulations suggest that the conductivity of such thin film devices could be further enhanced by using longer nanowires. Solution processed Gallium doped ZnO nanowires are aligned on substrates using an innovative shear coating technique. Nanowire alignment has shown improvement in ZnO nanowire transparent electrode conductivity. 2D network simulations in conjunction with electrical measurements have revealed different regimes of operation of nanowire thin films and provided a guideline for improving electrical performance of nanowire electrodes. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ZnO thin films and nanostructures for emerging optoelectronic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, D. J.; Teherani, F. H.; Sandana, V. E.; Razeghi, M.

2010-02-01

ZnO-based thin films and nanostructures grown by PLD for various emerging optoelectronic applications. AZO thin films are currently displacing ITO for many TCO applications due to recent improvements in attainable AZO conductivity combined with processing, cost and toxicity advantages. Advances in the channel mobilities and Id on/off ratios in ZnO-based TTFTs have opened up the potential for use as a replacement for a-Si in AM-OLED and AM-LCD screens. Angular-dependent specular reflection measurements of self-forming, moth-eye-like, nanostructure arrays grown by PLD were seen to have green gap in InGaN-based LEDs was combated by substituting low Ts PLD n-ZnO for MOCVD n-GaN in inverted hybrid heterojunctions. This approach maintained the integrity of the InGaN MQWs and gave LEDs with green emission at just over 510 nm. Hybrid n-ZnO/p-GaN heterojunctions were also seen to have the potential for UV (375 nm) EL, characteristic of ZnO NBE emission. This suggests that there was significant hole injection into the ZnO and that such LEDs could profit from the relatively high exciton binding energy of ZnO.

The Integration and Applications of Organic Thin Film Transistors and Ferroelectric Polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Yu-Jen

Organic thin film transistors and ferroelectric polymer (polyvinylidene difluoride) sheet material are integrated to form various sensors for stress/strain, acoustic wave, and Infrared (heat) sensing applications. Different from silicon-based transistors, organic thin film transistors can be fabricated and processed in room-temperature and integrated with a variety of substrates. On the other hand, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) exhibits ferroelectric properties that are highly useful for sensor applications. The wide frequency bandwidth (0.001 Hz to 10 GHz), vast dynamic range (100n to 10M psi), and high elastic compliance (up to 3 percent) make PVDF a more suitable candidate over ceramic piezoelectric materials for thin and flexible sensor applications. However, the low Curie temperature may have impeded its integration with silicon technology. Organic thin film transistors, however, do not have the limitation of processing temperature, hence can serve as transimpedance amplifiers to convert the charge signal generated by PVDF into current signal that are more measurable and less affected by any downstream parasitics. Piezoelectric sensors are useful for a range of applications, but passive arrays suffer from crosstalk and signal attenuation which have complicated the development of array-based PVDF sensors. We have used organic field effect transistors, which are compatible with the low Curie temperature of a flexible piezoelectric polymer,PVDF, to monolithically fabricate transimpedance amplifiers directly on the sensor surface and convert the piezoelectric charge signal into a current signal which can be detected even in the presence of parasitic capacitances. The device couples the voltage generated by the PVDF film under strain into the gate of the organic thin film transistors (OFET) using an arrangement that allows the full piezoelectric voltage to couple to the channel, while also increasing the charge retention time. A bipolar detector is created by

Effect of Ag doping on the properties of ZnO thin films for UV stimulated emission

Science.gov (United States)

Razeen, Ahmed S.; Gadallah, A.-S.; El-Nahass, M. M.

2018-06-01

Ag doped ZnO thin films have been prepared using sol-gel spin coating method, with different doping concentrations. Structural and morphological properties of the films have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Thin films have been optically pumped and stimulated emission has been observed with strong peaks in the UV region. The UV stimulated emission is found to be due to exciton-exciton scattering, and Ag doping promoted this process by increasing the excitons concentrations in the ZnO lattice. Output-input intensity relation and peak emission, FWHM, and quantum efficiency relations with pump intensity have been reported. The threshold for which stimulated emission started has been evaluated to be about 18 MW/cm2 with quantum efficiency of about 58.7%. Mechanisms explaining the role of Ag in enhancement of stimulated emission from ZnO thin films have been proposed.

Characterization of ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrate elaborated by solgel spin-coating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chebil, W., E-mail: Chbil.widad@live.fr [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Fouzri, A. [Laboratoire Physico-chimie des Matériaux, Unité de Service Commun de Recherche “High resolution X-ray diffractometer”, Département de Physique, Université de Monastir, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Avenue de l’Environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie de Sousse, Université de Sousse (Tunisia); Fargi, A. [Laboratoire de Microélectronique et Instrumentation, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l’environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); Azeza, B.; Zaaboub, Z. [Laboratoire Micro-Optoélectroniques et Nanostructures, Faculté des Sciences de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Avenue de l' environnement, 5019 Monastir (Tunisia); and others

2015-10-15

Highlights: • High quality ZnO thin films grown on different p-Si substrates were successful obtained by sol–gel process. • PL measurement revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has the better optical quality. • I–V characteristics for all heterojunctions exhibit successful diode formation. • The diode ZnO/PSi shows a better photovoltaic effect under illumination with a maximum {sub Voc} of 0.2 V. - Abstract: In this study, ZnO thin films are deposited by sol–gel technique on p-type crystalline silicon (Si) with [100] orientation, etched silicon and porous silicon. The structural analyses showed that the obtained thin films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented along the c-axis direction. Morphological study revealed the presence of rounded and facetted grains irregularly distributed on the surface of all samples. PL spectra at room temperature revealed that ZnO thin film grown on porous Si has a strong UV emission with low defects in the visible region comparing with ZnO grown on plat Si and etched Si surface. The heterojunction parameters were evaluated from the (I–V) under dark and illumination at room temperature. The ideality factor, barrier height and series resistance of heterojunction grown on different p-Si substrates are determined by using different methods. Best electrical properties are obtained for ZnO layer deposited on porous silicon.

Screen printing as a scalable and low-cost approach for rigid and flexible thin-film transistors using separated carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xuan; Chen, Haitian; Gu, Xiaofei; Liu, Bilu; Wang, Wenli; Cao, Yu; Wu, Fanqi; Zhou, Chongwu

2014-12-23

Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes are very promising materials in printed electronics due to their excellent mechanical and electrical property, outstanding printability, and great potential for flexible electronics. Nonetheless, developing scalable and low-cost approaches for manufacturing fully printed high-performance single-wall carbon nanotube thin-film transistors remains a major challenge. Here we report that screen printing, which is a simple, scalable, and cost-effective technique, can be used to produce both rigid and flexible thin-film transistors using separated single-wall carbon nanotubes. Our fully printed top-gated nanotube thin-film transistors on rigid and flexible substrates exhibit decent performance, with mobility up to 7.67 cm2 V(-1) s(-1), on/off ratio of 10(4)∼10(5), minimal hysteresis, and low operation voltage (transistors (bent with radius of curvature down to 3 mm) and driving capability for organic light-emitting diode have been demonstrated. Given the high performance of the fully screen-printed single-wall carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, we believe screen printing stands as a low-cost, scalable, and reliable approach to manufacture high-performance nanotube thin-film transistors for application in display electronics. Moreover, this technique may be used to fabricate thin-film transistors based on other materials for large-area flexible macroelectronics, and low-cost display electronics.

High energy electron irradiation effects on Ga-doped ZnO thin films for optoelectronic space applications

Science.gov (United States)

Serrao, Felcy Jyothi; Sandeep, K. M.; Bhat, Shreesha; Dharmaprakash, S. M.

2018-03-01

Gallium-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films of thickness 394 nm were prepared by a simple, cost-effective sol-gel spin coating method. The effect of 8 MeV electron beam irradiation with different irradiation doses ranging from 0 to 10 kGy on the structural, optical and electrical properties was investigated. Electron irradiation influences the changes in the structural properties and surface morphology of GZO thin films. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the polycrystalline nature of the GZO films is unaffected by the high energy electron irradiation. The grain size and the surface roughness were found maximum for the GZO film irradiated with 10 kGy electron dosage. The average transmittance of GZO thin films decreased after electron irradiation. The optical band gap of Ga-doped ZnO films was decreased with the increase in the electron dosage. The electrical resistivity of GZO films decreased from 4.83 × 10-3 to 8.725 × 10-4 Ω cm, when the electron dosage was increased from 0 to 10 kGy. The variation in the optical and electrical properties in the Ga-doped ZnO thin films due to electron beam irradiation in the present study is useful in deciding their compatibility in optoelectronic device applications in electron radiation environment.

Temperature dependent optical properties of ZnO thin film using ellipsometry and photoluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Bouzourâa, M.-B.; Battie, Y.; Dalmasso, S.; Zaïbi, M.-A.; Oueslati, M.; En Naciri, A.

2018-05-01

We report the temperature dependence of the dielectric function, the exciton binding energy and the electronic transitions of crystallized ZnO thin film using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and photoluminescence (PL). ZnO layers were prepared by sol-gel method and deposited on crystalline silicon (Si) by spin coating technique. The ZnO optical properties were determined between 300 K and 620 K. Rigorous study of optical responses was achieved in order to demonstrate the quenching exciton of ZnO as a function of temperature. Numerical technique named constrained cubic splines approximation (CCS), Tauc-Lorentz (TL) and Tanguy dispersion models were selected for the ellipsometry data modeling in order to obtain the dielectric function of ZnO. The results reveals that the exciton bound becomes widely flattening at 470 K on the one hand, and on the other that the Tanguy dispersion law is more appropriate for determining the optical responses of ZnO thin film in the temperature range of 300 K-420 K. The Tauc-Lorentz, for its part, reproduces correctly the ZnO dielectric function in 470 K-620 K temperature range. The temperature dependence of the electronic transition given by SE and PL shows that the exciton quenching was observed in 420 K-∼520 K temperature range. This quenching effect can be explained by the equilibrium between the Coulomb force of exciton and its kinetic energy in the film. The kinetic energy was found to induce three degrees of freedom of the exciton.

Comparative study of ZnO thin films prepared by different sol-gel route

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F Esmaieli Ghodsi

2012-03-01

Full Text Available   Retraction Notice    The paper "Comparative study of ZnO thin films prepared by different sol-gel route" by H. Absalan and F. E. Ghodsi, which appeared in Iranian Journal of Physics Research, Vol. 11, No. 4, 423-428 (in Farsi is translation of the paper "Comparative Study of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Different Sol-Gel Route" by F. E. Ghodsi and H. Absalan, which appeared in ACTA PHYSICA POLONICA A, Vol 118 (2010 (in English and for this reason is retracted from this journal.The corresponding author  (and also the first author is the only responsible person for this action.   

Monolithic acoustic graphene transistors based on lithium niobate thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, J.; Liu, B.-H.; Zhang, H.-X.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, M.-L.; Zhang, D.-H.; Pang, W.

2018-05-01

This paper introduces an on-chip acoustic graphene transistor based on lithium niobate thin film. The graphene transistor is embedded in a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) acoustic wave device, and surface acoustic waves generated by the resonator induce a macroscopic current in the graphene due to the acousto-electric (AE) effect. The acoustic resonator and the graphene share the lithium niobate film, and a gate voltage is applied through the back side of the silicon substrate. The AE current induced by the Rayleigh and Sezawa modes was investigated, and the transistor outputs a larger current in the Rayleigh mode because of a larger coupling to velocity ratio. The output current increases linearly with the input radiofrequency power and can be effectively modulated by the gate voltage. The acoustic graphene transistor realized a five-fold enhancement in the output current at an optimum gate voltage, outperforming its counterpart with a DC input. The acoustic graphene transistor demonstrates a paradigm for more-than-Moore technology. By combining the benefits of MEMS and graphene circuits, it opens an avenue for various system-on-chip applications.

Electrical and optical properties of a n-type ZnO thin film deposited on a Si substrate by using a double RF Co-sputtering method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jonghyun; Choi, Wonjoon; Kim, Chaeok; Hong, Jinpyo; Nahm, Tschanguh [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cheong, Hyeonsik [Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2006-09-15

Outstanding n-type ZnO thin films were prepared on Si substrates by utilizing a double RF cosputtering method. Our unique double RF technique has many attractive merits for synthesizing ZnO thin films with excellent optoelectronic properties at various temperatures. The ZnO thin films were also post-annealed at various temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated well-grown ZnO films with a (002) orientation and with gorgeous chemically bond states, respectively. In addition, photoluminescence measurements indicated a band-gap of 3.4 eV in the ZnO films. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that the as-grown ZnO thin film had hexagonal column shapes, such as hexagonal rods. The ZnO film exhibited an UV light response with a cut-off wavelength of {approx}370 nm at room temperature.

Piezoelectricity and charge trapping in ZnO and Co-doped ZnO thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico D’Agostino

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectricity and charge storage of undoped and Co-doped ZnO thin films were investigated by means of PiezoResponse Force Microscopy and Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy. We found that Co-doped ZnO exhibits a large piezoelectric response, with the mean value of piezoelectric matrix element d33 slightly lower than in the undoped sample. Moreover, we demonstrate that Co-doping affects the homogeneity of the piezoelectric response, probably as a consequence of the lower crystalline degree exhibited by the doped samples. We also investigate the nature of the interface between a metal electrode, made up of the PtIr AFM tip, and the films as well as the phenomenon of charge storage. We find Schottky contacts in both cases, with a barrier value higher in PtIr/ZnO than in PtIr/Co-doped ZnO, indicating an increase in the work function due to Co-doping.

Wavy channel Thin Film Transistor for area efficient, high performance and low power applications

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir; Sevilla, Galo T.; Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2014-01-01

We report a new Thin Film Transistor (TFT) architecture that allows expansion of the device width using wavy (continuous without separation) fin features - termed as wavy channel (WC) architecture. This architecture allows expansion of transistor

Laser molecular beam epitaxy of ZnO thin films and heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opel, Matthias; Geprägs, Stephan; Althammer, Matthias; Brenninger, Thomas; Gross, Rudolf

2014-01-01

We report on the growth of epitaxial ZnO thin films and ZnO-based heterostructures on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We first discuss some recent developments in laser-MBE such as flexible ultraviolet laser beam optics, infrared laser heating systems or the use of atomic oxygen and nitrogen sources, and describe the technical realization of our advanced laser-MBE system. Then we describe the optimization of the deposition parameters for ZnO films such as laser fluence and substrate temperature and the use of buffer layers. The detailed structural characterization by x-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy shows that epitaxial ZnO thin films with high structural quality can be achieved, as demonstrated by a small out-of-plane and in-plane mosaic spread as well as the absence of rotational domains. We also demonstrate the heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO-based multilayers as a prerequisite for spin transport experiments and the realization of spintronic devices. As an example, we show that TiN/Co/ZnO/Ni/Au multilayer stacks can be grown on (0 0 0 1)-oriented sapphire with good structural quality of all layers and well defined in-plane epitaxial relations. (paper)

Horizontally-connected ZnO-graphene hybrid films for multifunctional devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Yi Rang [Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Yuseong Post Office Box 107, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Semiconductor Physics Research Center (SPRC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Wooseok; Lee, Young Bum; Kim, Seong Ku; Han, Jin Kyu; Myung, Sung; Lee, Sun Sook; An, Ki-Seok [Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Yuseong Post Office Box 107, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Chel-Jong [School of Semiconductor and Chemical Engineering, Semiconductor Physics Research Center (SPRC), Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Jongsun, E-mail: jslim@krict.re.kr [Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Yuseong Post Office Box 107, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-30

Highlights: • We designed horizontally-connected ZnO and graphene hybrid nanofilms with improved flexibility for multifunctional nanodevices including high performance TFTs. • The photocurrent on-off ratio, response time, and recovery time of the hybrid photodetectors were estimated to be 10{sup 2}, 34 s, and 27 s, respectively. The photocurrent from the hybrid photodetector decreased only by two-fold, whereas a significant decrease in photocurrent by two orders of magnitude was observed from the ZnO thin film based photodetectors after 10{sup 5} cycles of 5-mm radius bending. • The hybrid thin film transistors exhibited unipolar n-channel transistor behavior with electron mobility of 68.7 cm{sup 2}/V s and on-off ratio of 10{sup 7}. - Abstract: Here we designed horizontally-connected ZnO thin films and graphene in order to combine advantages of ZnO thin films, which are high on/off ratio and photo responsivity, and the superior mobility and sensitivity of graphene for applications in thin film transistors (TFTs) and flexible photodetectors. To synthesize the ZnO/graphene hybrid films, a 70-nm-thick ZnO thin film with a uniformly flat surface deposited by the atomic layer deposition process was horizontally connected with highly crystalline monolayer graphene grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The photocurrent on-off ratio, response time, and recovery time of the hybrid photodetectors were estimated to be 10{sup 2}, 34 s, and 27 s, respectively. The photocurrent from the hybrid photodetector decreased only by two-fold, whereas a significant decrease in photocurrent by two orders of magnitude was observed from the ZnO thin film based photodetectors after 10{sup 5} cycles of 5-mm radius bending. The hybrid TFT exhibited unipolar n-channel transistor behavior with electron mobility of 68.7 cm{sup 2}/V s and on-off ratio of 10{sup 7}.

The influence of annealing in nitrogen atmosphere on the electrical, optical and structural properties of spray- deposited ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikhmayies, S.J. [Applied Science Private Univ., Amman (Jordan). Dept. of Physics; Abu El-Haija, N.M.; Ahmad-Bitar, R.N. [Jordan Univ., Amman (Jordan). Dept. of Physics

2009-07-01

Thin-film zinc oxide (ZnO) has many applications in solar cell technology and is considered to be a candidate for the substitution of indium tin oxide and tin oxide. ZnO thin films can be prepared by thermal evaporation, rf-sputtering, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel, laser ablation and spray pyrolysis technique. Spray pyrolysis has received much attention because of its simplicity and low cost. In this study, large area and highly uniform polycrystalline ZnO thin films were produced by spray pyrolysis using a home-made spraying system on glass substrates at 450 degrees C. The electrical, optical and structural properties of the ZnO films were enhanced by annealing the thin films in nitrogen atmosphere. X-ray diffraction revealed that the films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The preferential orientation did not change with annealing, but XRD patterns revealed that some very weak lines had grown. There was no noticeable increase in the grain size. The transmittance of the films increased as a result of annealing. It was concluded that post-deposition annealing is essential to improve the quality of the ZnO thin films. The electrical properties improved due to a decrease in resistivity. 13 refs., 5 figs.

Structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films prepared ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

of zinc acetate on glass substrates at 450 °C. Effect of precursor concentration on structural and optical pro- perties has ... dependence of photoresponse properties of sprayed ZnO thin films on ... randomly oriented flake-like grains. The grains ...

Fully transparent conformal organic thin-film transistor array and its application as LED front driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Nan; Ren, Hang; Tang, Qingxin; Zhao, Xiaoli; Tong, Yanhong; Hu, Wenping; Liu, Yichun

2018-02-22

A fully transparent conformal organic thin-film field-effect transistor array is demonstrated based on a photolithography-compatible ultrathin metallic grid gate electrode and a solution-processed C 8 -BTBT film. The resulting organic field-effect transistor array exhibits a high optical transparency of >80% over the visible spectrum, mobility up to 2 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , on/off ratio of 10 5 -10 6 , switching current of >0.1 mA, and excellent light stability. The transparent conformal transistor array is demonstrated to adhere well to flat and curved LEDs as front driving. These results present promising applications of the solution-processed wide-bandgap organic semiconductor thin films in future large-scale transparent conformal active-matrix displays.

Chemical route to synthesis of mesoporous ZnO thin films and their liquefied petroleum gas sensor performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhawale, D.S.; Lokhande, C.D.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Low temperature synthesis of mesoporous ZnO thin films by CBD method with urea containing bath. → Wurtzite crystal structure of mesoporous ZnO has been confirmed from the XRD study. → SEM images reveal the formation of hydrophobic mesoporous ZnO thin films. → Maximum LPG response of 52% has been achieved with high stability. - Abstract: In the present work, we report base free chemical bath deposition (CBD) of mesoporous zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films from urea containing bath for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensor application. Mesoporous morphology with average pore size ∼2 μm and wurtzite crystal structure are confirmed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The surface of ZnO is hydrophobic with water contact angle 128 ± 1 o . Optical study reveals the presence of direct bad gap with energy 3.24 eV. The gas sensing study reveals the mesoporous ZnO is highly selective towards LPG as compared with CO 2 and maximum LPG response of 52% is achieved upon the exposure of 3900 ppm LPG at 573 K as well as good reproducibility and short response/recovery times.

Variation of microstructural and optical properties in SILAR grown ZnO thin films by thermal treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Valanarasu, S; Dhanasekaran, V; Chandramohan, R; Kulandaisamy, I; Sakthivelu, A; Mahalingam, T

2013-08-01

The influence of thermal treatment on the structural and morphological properties of the ZnO films deposited by double dip Successive ionic layer by adsorption reaction is presented. The effect of annealing temperature and time in air ambient is presented in detail. The deposited films were annealed from 200 to 400 degrees C in air and the structural properties were determined as a function of annealing temperature by XRD. The studies revealed that films were exhibiting preferential orientation along (002) plane. The other structural parameters like the crystallite size (D), micro strain (epsilon), dislocation density (delta) and stacking fault (alpha) of as-deposited and annealed ZnO films were evaluated and reported. The optical properties were also studied and the band gap of the ZnO thins films varied from 3.27 to 3.04 eV with the annealing temperature. SEM studies revealed that the hexagonal shaped grains with uniformly distributed morphology in annealed ZnO thin films. It has been envisaged using EDX analysis that the near stoichiometric composition of the film can be attained by thermal treatment during which microstructural changes do occur.

Doping properties of ZnO thin films for photovoltaic devices grown by URT-IP (ion plating) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwata, K.; Sakemi, T.; Yamada, A.; Fons, P.; Awai, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Matsubara, M.; Tampo, H.; Sakurai, K.; Ishizuka, S.; Niki, S.

2004-01-01

The Uramoto-gun with Tanaka magnetic field (URT)-ion plating (IP) method is a novel ion plating technique for thin film deposition. This method offers the advantage of low-ion damage, low deposition temperatures, large area deposition and high growth rates. Ga-doped ZnO thin films were grown using the URT-IP method, and the doping properties were evaluated. The opposing goals of low Ga composition and low resistivity are required for industrial applications of transparent conductive oxide (TCO). We have carried out a comparison between the carrier concentration and Ga atomic concentration in Ga-doped ZnO thin films and found the trade-off point for optimal TCO performance. The optimum growth conditions were obtained using a 3% Ga 2 O 3 content ZnO target

Selective growth of ZnO thin film nanostructures: Structure, morphology and tunable optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krishnakanth, Katturi Naga; Sunandana, C. S. [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-50046 (India); Rajesh, Desapogu, E-mail: rajesh.esapogu@gmail.com, E-mail: mperd@nus.edu.sg [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-50046 (India); Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

2016-05-23

The ZnO nanostructures (spherical, rod shape) have been successfully fabricated via a thermal evaporation followed by dip coating method. The pure, doped ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy, respectively. A possible growth mechanism of the spherical, rod shape ZnO nanostructures are discussed. XRD patterns revealed that all films consist of pure ZnO phase and were well crystallized with preferential orientation towards (002) direction. Doping by PVA, PVA+Cu has effective role in the enhancement of the crystalline quality and increases in the band gap.

Controlling the dimensionality of charge transport in organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Laiho, Ari; Herlogsson, Lars; Forchheimer, Robert; Crispin, Xavier; Berggren, Magnus

2011-01-01

Electrolyte-gated organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) can offer a feasible platform for future flexible, large-area and low-cost electronic applications. These transistors can be divided into two groups on the basis of their operation mechanism: (i) field-effect transistors that switch fast but carry much less current than (ii) the electrochemical transistors which, on the contrary, switch slowly. An attractive approach would be to combine the benefits of the field-effect and the electrochemical transistors into one transistor that would both switch fast and carry high current densities. Here we report the development of a polyelectrolyte-gated OTFT based on conjugated polyelectrolytes, and we demonstrate that the OTFTs can be controllably operated either in the field-effect or the electrochemical regime. Moreover, we show that the extent of electrochemical doping can be restricted to a few monolayers of the conjugated polyelectrolyte film, which allows both high current densities and fast switching speeds at the same time. We propose an operation mechanism based on self-doping of the conjugated polyelectrolyte backbone by its ionic side groups. PMID:21876143

Slow positron beam study of hydrogen ion implanted ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Yi; Xue, Xudong; Wu, Yichu

2014-01-01

The effects of hydrogen related defect on the microstructure and optical property of ZnO thin films were investigated by slow positron beam, in combination with x-ray diffraction, infrared and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The defects were introduced by 90 keV proton irradiation with doses of 1×10 15 and 1×10 16 ions cm −2 . Zn vacancy and OH bonding (V Zn +OH) defect complex were identified in hydrogen implanted ZnO film by positron annihilation and infrared spectroscopy. The formation of these complexes led to lattice disorder in hydrogen implanted ZnO film and suppressed the luminescence process. - Highlights: • Hydrogen introduced by ion implantation can form hydrogen-related defect complex. • V Zn +OH defect complex is identified by positron annihilation and IR spectroscopy. • Irradiation defects suppress the luminescence process

Reversible p-type conductivity in H passivated nitrogen and phosphorous codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mannam, Ramanjaneyulu, E-mail: ramu.nov9@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Kumar, E. Senthil [SRM Research Institute, Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu (India); DasGupta, Nandita [Microelectronics and MEMS Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Ramachandra Rao, M.S., E-mail: msrrao@iitm.ac.in [Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre and Materials Science Research Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Electrical transport measurements revel that the (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p-type to n-type over a span of 120 days. • Hydrogen and carbon are found to be the main unintentional impurities in n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films. • Rapid thermal annealing has been used to remove both H and C from the films. • Carbon can be removed at an annealing temperature of 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place only at 800 °C. • The n-type (P, N) codoped ZnO thin film exhibited change in conductivity to p-type at an annealing temperature of 800 °C. - Abstract: We demonstrate reversible p-type nature of pulsed laser deposited (P, N) codoped ZnO thin films using rapid thermal annealing process. As grown thin films exhibited change in conductivity from p to n-type over a span of 120 days. Non-annealed n-type thin films contain unintentional donor impurities such as hydrogen and carbon. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman measurements conclusively show that hydrogen passivates nitrogen acceptors by forming N−H complex. Carbon can be annealed out at 600 °C, whereas, the dissociation of N−H complex takes place at 800 °C. The films revert its p-type nature at an annealing temperature of 800 °C.

Plasmonic enhancement of UV emission from ZnO thin films induced by Al nano-concave arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norek, Małgorzata; Łuka, Grzegorz; Włodarski, Maksymilian

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Al nano-concave arrays with different interpore distance (D c ) were prepared. • PL of ZnO thin films deposited directly on the Al nano-concaves were studied. • The effect of 10 nm Al 2 O 3 spacer on PL emission from ZnO thin films was analyzed. • Plasmonic enhancement of the PL emission was dependent on the D c and the spacer. • The highest 9-fold enhancement was obtained for the Al/ZnO sample with D c ∼333 nm. - Abstract: Surface plasmons (SPs) supported by Al nano-concave arrays with increasing interpore distance (D c ) were used to enhance the ultraviolet light emission from ZnO thin films. Two sets of samples were prepared: in the first set the thin ZnO films were deposited directly on Al nanoconcaves (the Al/ZnO samples) and in the second set a 10 nm − Al 2 O 3 spacer was placed between the textured Al and the ZnO films (the Al/Al 2 O 3 -ALD/ZnO samples). In the Al/ZnO samples the enhancement was limited by a nonradiative energy dissipation due to the Ohmic loss in the Al metal. However, for the ZnO layer deposited directly on Al nanopits synthesized at 150 V (D c = 333 ± 18 nm), the largest 9-fold enhancement was obtained by achieving the best energy fit between the near band-edge (NBE) emission from ZnO and the λ (0,1) SPP resonance mode. In the Al/Al 2 O 3 -ALD/ZnO samples the amplification of the UV emission was smaller than in the Al/ZnO samples due to a big energy mismatch between the NBE emission and the λ (0,1) plasmonic mode. The results obtained in this work indicate that better tuning of the NBE − λ (0,1) SPP resonance mode coupling is possible through a proper modification of geometrical parameters in the Al/Al 2 O 3 -ALD/ZnO system such as Al nano-concave spacing and the thickness of the corresponding layer. This approach will reduce the negative influence of the non-radiative plasmonic modes and most likely will lead to further enhancement of the SP-modulated UV emission from ZnO thin films.

Plasmonic enhancement of UV emission from ZnO thin films induced by Al nano-concave arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norek, Małgorzata, E-mail: mnorek@wat.edu.pl [Department of Advanced Materials and Technologies, Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military University of Technology, Kaliskiego 2, 00-908 Warsaw (Poland); Łuka, Grzegorz [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Włodarski, Maksymilian [Institute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology, Str. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908 Warszawa (Poland)

2016-10-30

Highlights: • Al nano-concave arrays with different interpore distance (D{sub c}) were prepared. • PL of ZnO thin films deposited directly on the Al nano-concaves were studied. • The effect of 10 nm Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} spacer on PL emission from ZnO thin films was analyzed. • Plasmonic enhancement of the PL emission was dependent on the D{sub c} and the spacer. • The highest 9-fold enhancement was obtained for the Al/ZnO sample with D{sub c} ∼333 nm. - Abstract: Surface plasmons (SPs) supported by Al nano-concave arrays with increasing interpore distance (D{sub c}) were used to enhance the ultraviolet light emission from ZnO thin films. Two sets of samples were prepared: in the first set the thin ZnO films were deposited directly on Al nanoconcaves (the Al/ZnO samples) and in the second set a 10 nm − Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} spacer was placed between the textured Al and the ZnO films (the Al/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ALD/ZnO samples). In the Al/ZnO samples the enhancement was limited by a nonradiative energy dissipation due to the Ohmic loss in the Al metal. However, for the ZnO layer deposited directly on Al nanopits synthesized at 150 V (D{sub c} = 333 ± 18 nm), the largest 9-fold enhancement was obtained by achieving the best energy fit between the near band-edge (NBE) emission from ZnO and the λ{sub (0,1)} SPP resonance mode. In the Al/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ALD/ZnO samples the amplification of the UV emission was smaller than in the Al/ZnO samples due to a big energy mismatch between the NBE emission and the λ{sub (0,1)} plasmonic mode. The results obtained in this work indicate that better tuning of the NBE − λ{sub (0,1)} SPP resonance mode coupling is possible through a proper modification of geometrical parameters in the Al/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ALD/ZnO system such as Al nano-concave spacing and the thickness of the corresponding layer. This approach will reduce the negative influence of the non-radiative plasmonic modes and most likely will lead to further

Effects of structural modification via high-pressure annealing on solution-processed InGaO films and thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rim, You Seung; Choi, Hyung-Wook; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Hyun Jae

2016-01-01

We investigated the structural modification of solution-processed nanocrystalline InGaO films via high-pressure annealing and fabricated thin-film transistors. The grain size of InGaO films annealed in the presence of oxygen under high pressure was significantly changed compared the films annealed without high pressure ambient. The O1s XPS peak distribution of InGaO films annealed under high pressure at 350 °C showed a peak similar to that of the non-pressure annealed film at 500 °C. The high-pressure annealing process promoted the elimination of organic residues and dehydroxylation of the metal hydroxide (M–OH) complex. We confirmed the improved device performance of high-pressure annealed InGaO-based thin-film transistors owing to the reduction in charge-trap density. (paper)

Introduction to thin film transistors physics and technology of TFTs

CERN Document Server

Brotherton, S D

2013-01-01

Introduction to Thin Film Transistors reviews the operation, application, and technology of the main classes of thin film transistor (TFT) of current interest for large area electronics. The TFT materials covered include hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si), transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS), and organic semiconductors. The large scale manufacturing of a-Si:H TFTs forms the basis of the active matrix flat panel display industry. Poly-Si TFTs facilitate the integration of electronic circuits into portable active matrix liquid crystal displays, and are increasingly used in active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays for smart phones. The recently developed AOS TFTs are seen as an alternative option to poly-Si and a-Si:H for AMOLED TV and large AMLCD TV applications, respectively. The organic TFTs are regarded as a cost effective route into flexible electronics. As well as treating the highly divergent preparation and properties of these mat...

Quenching of surface traps in Mn doped ZnO thin films for enhanced optical transparency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ilyas, Usman; Rawat, R.S.; Roshan, G.; Tan, T.L.; Lee, P.; Springham, S.V.; Zhang, Sam; Fengji Li; Chen, R.; Sun, H.D.

2011-01-01

The structural and photoluminescence analyses were performed on un-doped and Mn doped ZnO thin films grown on Si (1 0 0) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and annealed at different post-deposition temperatures (500-800 deg. C). X-ray diffraction (XRD), employed to study the structural properties, showed an improved crystallinity at elevated temperatures with a consistent decrease in the lattice parameter 'c'. The peak broadening in XRD spectra and the presence of Mn 2p3/2 peak at ∼640 eV in X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (XPS) spectra of the doped thin films confirmed the successful incorporation of Mn in ZnO host matrix. Extended near band edge emission (NBE) spectra indicated the reduction in the concentration of the intrinsic surface traps in comparison to the doped ones resulting in improved optical transparency. Reduced deep level emission (DLE) spectra in doped thin films with declined PL ratio validated the quenching of the intrinsic surface traps thereby improving the optical transparency and the band gap, essential for optoelectronic and spintronic applications. Furthermore, the formation and uniform distribution of nano-sized grains with improved surface features of Mn-doped ZnO thin films were observed in Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images.

Area and energy efficient high-performance ZnO wavy channel thin-film transistor

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir

2014-09-01

Increased output current while maintaining low power consumption in thin-film transistors (TFTs) is essential for future generation large-area high-resolution displays. Here, we show wavy channel (WC) architecture in TFT that allows the expansion of the transistor width in the direction perpendicular to the substrate through integrating continuous fin features on the underlying substrate. This architecture enables expanding the TFT width without consuming any additional chip area, thus enabling increased performance while maintaining the real estate integrity. The experimental WCTFTs show a linear increase in output current as a function of number of fins per device resulting in (3.5×) increase in output current when compared with planar counterparts that consume the same chip area. The new architecture also allows tuning the threshold voltage as a function of the number of fin features included in the device, as threshold voltage linearly decreased from 6.8 V for planar device to 2.6 V for WC devices with 32 fins. This makes the new architecture more power efficient as lower operation voltages could be used for WC devices compared with planar counterparts. It was also found that field effect mobility linearly increases with the number of fins included in the device, showing almost \\\\(1.8×) enhancements in the field effect mobility than that of the planar counterparts. This can be attributed to higher electric field in the channel due to the fin architecture and threshold voltage shift. © 2014 IEEE.

In-situ study of pn-heterojunction interface states in organic thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, Rongbin; Ohta, Koji; Baba, Mamoru

2014-01-01

In this paper, we have investigated the density of pn-heterojunction interface states by evaluating the threshold voltage shift with in-situ measurement of electrical characteristics of a sandwich fluorinated copper phthalocyanine/pentacene thin film transistor with various thicknesses of pentacene thin films. A threshold voltage (V T ) undergoes a significant shift from + 20.6 to + 0.53 V with increasing the thickness of pentacene. When the thickness of pentacene is more than a critical thickness of 15 nm, V T undergoes hardly any shift. On the other hand, the value of mobility is lightly decreased with increasing the thickness of pentacene due to the effect of the bulk current. Thus the V T shift is attributed to the increase of drain current in the sandwich device. In order to explain the V T shift, a model was assumed in the linear region of thin film transistor operation and the V T shift agrees with a tan −1 function of film thickness. The total charge density (Q 0 ) of 1.53 × 10 −7 C/cm 2 (9.56 × 10 11 electrons or holes/cm 2 ) was obtained. Furthermore, the V T shift and Q 0 could be adjusted by selecting a p-type semiconductor. - Highlights: • A threshold voltage was in-situ measured in an organic sandwich thin film transistor. • Density of pn-heterojunction interface states by evaluating the threshold voltage shift. • The threshold voltage shift attributes to the increase of drain current. • In order to explain the threshold voltage shift, a model was assumed

Synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amezaga-Madrid, P.; Antunez-Flores, W.; Ledezma-Sillas, J.E.; Murillo-Ramirez, J.G.; Solis-Canto, O.; Vega-Becerra, O.E.; Martinez-Sanchez, R.; Miki-Yoshida, M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition. → Optimum substrate temperatures of 673 K and 623 K for Sc and V doped films. → Around one third of the dopants in solution were deposited into the films. → Crystallite and grain size decreased with the increase of dopant concentration. → Optical band gap increased from 3.29 to 3.32 eV for undoped to 7 Sc/Zn at. %. - Abstract: Many semiconductor oxides (ZnO, TiO 2 , SnO 2 ) when doped with a low percentage of non-magnetic (V, Sc) or magnetic 3d (Co, Mn, Ni, Fe) cation behave ferromagnetically. They have attracted a great deal of interest due to the integration of semiconducting and magnetic properties in a material. ZnO is one of the most promising materials to carry out these tasks in view of the fact that it is optically transparent and has n or p type conductivity. Here, we report the synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped zinc oxide thin films. ZnO based thin films with additions of V and Sc were deposited by the Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition method. V and Sc were incorporated separately in the precursor solution. The films were uniform, transparent and non-light scattering. The microstructure of the films was characterized by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Scanning Probe Microscopy. Average grain size and surface rms roughness were estimated by the measurement of Atomic Force Microscopy. The microstructure of doped ZnO thin films depended on the type and amount of dopant material incorporated. The optical properties were determined from specular reflectance and transmittance spectra. Results were analyzed to determine the optical constant and band gap of the films. An increase in the optical band gap with the content of Sc dopant was obtained.

Characterization of nanostructured ZnO thin films deposited through vacuum evaporation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Alberto Alvarado

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This work presents a novel technique to deposit ZnO thin films through a metal vacuum evaporation technique using colloidal nanoparticles (average size of 30 nm, which were synthesized by our research group, as source. These thin films had a thickness between 45 and 123 nm as measured by profilometry. XRD patterns of the deposited thin films were obtained. According to the HRSEM micrographs worm-shaped nanostructures are observed in samples annealed at 600 °C and this characteristic disappears as the annealing temperature increases. The films obtained were annealed from 25 to 1000 °C, showing a gradual increase in transmittance spectra up to 85%. The optical band gaps obtained for these films are about 3.22 eV. The PL measurement shows an emission in the red and in the violet region and there is a correlation with the annealing process.

Scintillation characteristic of In, Ga-doped ZnO thin films with different dopant concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimoto, Yutaka; Yanagida, Takayuki; Yokota, Yuui; Chani, Valery; Yoshikawa, Akira; Sekiwa, Hideyuki

2011-01-01

The present study describes the first detailed evaluation of the rise and the decay time of scintillation phenomenon in In 3+ - and Ga 3+ -doped ZnO thin films with different dopant concentrations. In 3+ -(25, 55, and 141 ppm) and Ga 3+ -(33, 67, 333, and 1374 ppm) doped ZnO films were grown by the Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) method. The characterization was performed using the pulse X-ray equipped streak camera system. Both the rise and the decay times were shortened considerably with increasing content of In 3+ and Ga 3+ in the films. However, the scintillation light yield under 241 Am α-ray excitation reduced when concentration of In 3+ and Ga 3+ in the ZnO films was high. (author)

Synthesis and characterization of porous structured ZnO thin film for dye sensitized solar cell applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marimuthu, T.; Anandhan, N., E-mail: anandhan-kn@rediffmail.com; Mummoorthi, M. [School of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi – 630 003 (India); Dharuman, V. [Department of Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Alagappa University, Karaikudi – 630 003 (India)

2016-05-23

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc oxide/eosin yellow (ZnO/EY) thin films were potentiostatically deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate. Effect of eosin yellow dye on structural, morphological and optical properties was studied. X-ray diffraction patterns, micro Raman spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra reveal hexagonal wurtzite structure with less atomic defects in 101 plane orientation of the ZnO/EY film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show flower for ZnO and porous like structure for ZnO/EY thin film, respectively. DSSC was constructed and evaluated by measuring the current density verses voltage curve.

Ultraviolet Stimulated Emission from Sol-Gel Spin Coated ZnO Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed S. Razeen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Low cost ultraviolet stimulated emission has been generated using optical excitation of ZnO thin films deposited by sol-gel spin coating on n+ As-doped 100 Si-substrate. The number of deposited layers and the heat treatment have been investigated to obtain a film that can generate stimulated emission under optical excitation. The optimum condition for preparation of the film has been presented. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope have been used for structural and morphological investigations. Input-output intensity dependence and spectral width, peak emission wavelength, and the quantum efficiency versus the pump intensity have been presented. A quantum efficiency of about 24.2% has been reported, a power exponent higher than 8 has been obtained in input-output intensity dependence, and a threshold of about 23 Mw/cm2 has been evaluated for the samples. The mechanism by which stimulated emission occurs has been discussed. The results show that sol-gel spin coating is a promising method for generating ultraviolet stimulated emission from ZnO thin films.

Effects of stabilizer ratio on photoluminescence properties of sol-gel ZnO nano-structured thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudjouan, F.; Chelouche, A.; Touam, T.; Djouadi, D.; Khodja, S.; Tazerout, M.; Ouerdane, Y.; Hadjoub, Z.

2015-01-01

Nanostructured ZnO thin films with different molar ratios of MEA to zinc acetate (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) have been deposited on glass substrates by a sol–gel dip coating technique. X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, UV–visible spectrophotometry and photoluminescence spectroscopy have been employed to investigate the effect of MEA stabilizer ratio on structural, morphological, absorbance and emission properties of the ZnO thin films. Diffraction patterns have shown that all the films are polycrystalline and exhibit a wurtzite hexagonal structure. The c axis orientation has been enhanced with increasing stabilizer ratio. SEM micrographs have revealed that the morphology of the ZnO films depend on stabilizer ratio. The UV–visible absorption spectra have demonstrated that the optical absorption is affected by stabilizer ratio. The photoluminescence spectra have indicated one ultraviolet and two visible emission bands (green and red), while band intensities are found to be dependent on stabilizer ratio. ZnO thin films deposited at MEA ratio of 1.0 show the highest UV emission while the minimum UV emission intensity is observed in thin films deposited at ratio of 0.5 and the maximum green has been recorded for films deposited at MEA ratio of 2.0. - Highlight: • c axis orientation increases with increasing MEA ratio. • The increase of MEA ration from 0.5 to 1.0 enhances greatly the UV emission. • The larger I UV /I visible is obtained for the MEA to Zn ratio of 1:1. • The MEA ratio of 0.5 favors the formation of large density of V zn . • The MEA ratio of 2.0 increases the V o density

Modulation-Doped In2O3/ZnO Heterojunction Transistors Processed from Solution

KAUST Repository

Khim, Dongyoon

2017-03-15

This paper reports the controlled growth of atomically sharp In2 O3 /ZnO and In2 O3 /Li-doped ZnO (In2 O3 /Li-ZnO) heterojunctions via spin-coating at 200 °C and assesses their application in n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs). It is shown that addition of Li in ZnO leads to n-type doping and allows for the accurate tuning of its Fermi energy. In the case of In2 O3 /ZnO heterojunctions, presence of the n-doped ZnO layer results in an increased amount of electrons being transferred from its conduction band minimum to that of In2 O3 over the interface, in a process similar to modulation doping. Electrical characterization reveals the profound impact of the presence of the n-doped ZnO layer on the charge transport properties of the isotype In2 O3 /Li-ZnO heterojunctions as well as on the operating characteristics of the resulting TFTs. By judicious optimization of the In2 O3 /Li-ZnO interface microstructure, and Li concentration, significant enhancement in both the electron mobility and TFT bias stability is demonstrated.

Modulation-Doped In2O3/ZnO Heterojunction Transistors Processed from Solution

KAUST Repository

Khim, Dongyoon; Lin, Yen-Hung; Nam, Sungho; Faber, Hendrik; Tetzner, Kornelius; Li, Ruipeng; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Jun; Zhang, Xixiang; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.

2017-01-01

This paper reports the controlled growth of atomically sharp In2 O3 /ZnO and In2 O3 /Li-doped ZnO (In2 O3 /Li-ZnO) heterojunctions via spin-coating at 200 °C and assesses their application in n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs). It is shown that addition of Li in ZnO leads to n-type doping and allows for the accurate tuning of its Fermi energy. In the case of In2 O3 /ZnO heterojunctions, presence of the n-doped ZnO layer results in an increased amount of electrons being transferred from its conduction band minimum to that of In2 O3 over the interface, in a process similar to modulation doping. Electrical characterization reveals the profound impact of the presence of the n-doped ZnO layer on the charge transport properties of the isotype In2 O3 /Li-ZnO heterojunctions as well as on the operating characteristics of the resulting TFTs. By judicious optimization of the In2 O3 /Li-ZnO interface microstructure, and Li concentration, significant enhancement in both the electron mobility and TFT bias stability is demonstrated.

Effect of nickel doping on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO thin films under UV and visible light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaneva, Nina V.; Dimitrov, Dimitre T.; Dushkin, Ceco D.

2011-01-01

Nanostructured ZnO thin films with different concentrations of Ni 2+ doping (0, 1, 5, 10 and 15 wt.%) are prepared by the sol-gel method for the first time. The thin films are prepared from zinc acetate, 2-methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine on glass substrates by using dip coating method. The films comprise of ZnO nanocrystallites with hexagonal crystal structure, as revealed by X-ray diffraction. The film surface is with characteristic ganglia-like structure as observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Furthermore, the Ni-doped films are tested with respect to the photocatalysis in aqueous solutions of malachite green upon UV-light illumination, visible light and in darkness. The initial concentration of malachite green and the amount of catalyst are varied during the experiments. It is found that increasing of the amount of Ni 2+ ions with respect to ZnO generally lowers the photocatalytic activity in comparison with the pure ZnO films. Nevertheless, all films exhibit a substantial activity under both, UV and visible light and in darkness as well, which is promising for the development of new ZnO photocatalysts by the sol-gel method.

Effect of O2 plasma immersion on electrical properties and transistor performance of indium gallium zinc oxide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, P.; Chen, T.P.; Liu, Z.; Tan, C.S.; Leong, K.C.

2013-01-01

Evolution of electrical properties and thin-film transistor characteristics of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin films synthesized by RF sputtering with O 2 plasma immersion has been examined. O 2 plasma immersion results in an enhancement in the Hall mobility and a decrease in the electron concentration; and the transistor performance can be greatly improved by the O 2 plasma immersion. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates that the effect of O 2 plasma immersion on the electrical properties and the transistor performance can be attributed to the reduction of the oxygen-related defects in the IGZO thin films. - Highlights: • Oxygen plasma immersion effect on indium gallium zinc oxide thin film properties • Oxygen-related defect reduces in the InGaZnO thin film with oxygen plasma immersion. • Increasing oxygen plasma immersion duration on device will decrease the off current. • Oxygen plasma immersion enhances the performance of device

Role of vacancy defects in Al doped ZnO thin films for optoelectronic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Rotella, H.; Mazel, Y.; Brochen, S.; Valla, A.; Pautrat, A.; Licitra, C.; Rochat, N.; Sabbione, C.; Rodriguez, G.; Nolot, E.

2017-12-01

We report on the electrical, optical and photoluminescence properties of industry-ready Al doped ZnO thin films grown by physical vapor deposition, and their evolution after annealing under vacuum. Doping ZnO with Al atoms increases the carrier density but also favors the formation of Zn vacancies, thereby inducing a saturation of the conductivity mechanism at high aluminum content. The electrical and optical properties of these thin layered materials are both improved by annealing process which creates oxygen vacancies that releases charge carriers thus improving the conductivity. This study underlines the effect of the formation of extrinsic and intrinsic defects in Al doped ZnO compound during the fabrication process. The quality and the optoelectronic response of the produced films are increased (up to 1.52 mΩ \\cdotcm and 3.73 eV) and consistent with the industrial device requirements.

Design and fabrication of ZnO/TiO2-based thin-film inverter circuits using solution processing techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liau, Leo Chau-Kuang; Kuo, Juo-Wei; Chiang, Hsin-Ni

2012-01-01

Novel and cost-effective ceramic-based thin-film inverter circuits, based on two layers of TiO 2 and ZnO films to construct junction field-effect transistors (FETs), were designed and fabricated by solution coating techniques. The double layers of the sol–gel ZnO and TiO 2 films were coated and characterized as a diode according to the current–voltage performance. Two types of FETs, the p-channel (p-FET) and the n-channel (n-FET) devices, were produced using different coating sequences of ZnO and TiO 2 layers. Both of the transistor performances were evaluated by analyzing the source–drain current versus voltage (I ds –V ds ) data with the control of the gate voltage (V g ). The ZnO/TiO 2 -based inverter circuits, such as the complementary-FET device, were further fabricated using the integration of the p-FET and the n-FET. The voltage transfer characteristics of the inverters were estimated by the tests of the input voltage (V in ) versus the output voltage (V out ) for the thin-film inverter circuits. (paper)

Influence of annealing temperature on the structural, optical and mechanical properties of ALD-derived ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, C.-Y.; Jian, S.-R.; Chen, G.-J.; Lin, C.-M.; Lee, H.-Y.; Ke, W.-C.; Liao, Y.-Y.; Yang, P.-F.; Wang, C.-T.; Lai, Y.-S.; Jang, Jason S.-C.; Juang, J.-Y.

2011-01-01

ZnO thin films grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) were annealed at the temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 deg. C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the annealed ZnO thin films are highly (0 0 2)-oriented, indicating a well ordered microstructure. The film surface examined by the atomic force microscopy (AFM), however, indicated that the roughness increases with increasing annealing temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed that the intensity of UV emission was strongest for films annealed at 500 deg. C. The mechanical properties of the resultant ZnO thin films investigated by nanoindentation reveal that the hardness decreases from 9.2 GPa to 7.2 GPa for films annealed at 300 deg. C and 500 deg. C, respectively. On the other hand, the Young's modulus for the former is 168.6 GPa as compared to a value of 139.5 GPa for the latter. Moreover, the relationship between the hardness and film grain size appear to follow closely with the Hall-Petch equation.

Impact of Gate Dielectric in Carrier Mobility in Low Temperature Chalcogenide Thin Film Transistors for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Salas-Villasenor, A. L.; Mejia, I.; Hovarth, J.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Cha, D. K.; Ramirez-Bon, R.; Gnade, B. E.; Quevedo-Lopez, M. A.

2010-01-01

Cadmium sulfide thin film transistors were demonstrated as the n-type device for use in flexible electronics. CdS thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (70° C) on either 100 nm HfO2 or SiO2 as the gate dielectrics. Common gate transistors with channel lengths of 40-100 μm were fabricated with source and drain aluminum top contacts defined using a shadow mask process. No thermal annealing was performed throughout the device process. X-ray diffraction results clearly show the hexagonal crystalline phase of CdS. The electrical performance of HfO 2 /CdS -based thin film transistors shows a field effect mobility and threshold voltage of 25 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2 V, respectively. Improvement in carrier mobility is associated with better nucleation and growth of CdS films deposited on HfO2. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society.

Impact of Gate Dielectric in Carrier Mobility in Low Temperature Chalcogenide Thin Film Transistors for Flexible Electronics

KAUST Repository

Salas-Villasenor, A. L.

2010-06-29

Cadmium sulfide thin film transistors were demonstrated as the n-type device for use in flexible electronics. CdS thin films were deposited by chemical bath deposition (70° C) on either 100 nm HfO2 or SiO2 as the gate dielectrics. Common gate transistors with channel lengths of 40-100 μm were fabricated with source and drain aluminum top contacts defined using a shadow mask process. No thermal annealing was performed throughout the device process. X-ray diffraction results clearly show the hexagonal crystalline phase of CdS. The electrical performance of HfO 2 /CdS -based thin film transistors shows a field effect mobility and threshold voltage of 25 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2 V, respectively. Improvement in carrier mobility is associated with better nucleation and growth of CdS films deposited on HfO2. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society.

Thin-film transistors with a channel composed of semiconducting metal oxide nanoparticles deposited from the gas phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, C.; Schierning, G.; Theissmann, R.; Nedic, A.; Kruis, F. E.; Schmechel, R.

2012-01-01

The fabrication of semiconducting functional layers using low-temperature processes is of high interest for flexible printable electronics applications. Here, the one-step deposition of semiconducting nanoparticles from the gas phase for an active layer within a thin-film transistor is described. Layers of semiconducting nanoparticles with a particle size between 10 and 25 nm were prepared by the use of a simple aerosol deposition system, excluding potentially unwanted technological procedures like substrate heating or the use of solvents. The nanoparticles were deposited directly onto standard thin-film transistor test devices, using thermally grown silicon oxide as gate dielectric. Proof-of-principle experiments were done deploying two different wide-band gap semiconducting oxides, tin oxide, SnO x , and indium oxide, In 2 O 3 . The tin oxide spots prepared from the gas phase were too conducting to be used as channel material in thin-film transistors, most probably due to a high concentration of oxygen defects. Using indium oxide nanoparticles, thin-film transistor devices with significant field effect were obtained. Even though the electron mobility of the investigated devices was only in the range of 10 −6 cm 2V−1s−1 , the operability of this method for the fabrication of transistors was demonstrated. With respect to the possibilities to control the particle size and layer morphology in situ during deposition, improvements are expected.

Effect of Mg doping in the gas-sensing performance of RF-sputtered ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Vinoth, E.; Gowrishankar, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

2018-06-01

Thin films of Mg-free and Mg-doped (3, 10 and 20 mol%) ZnO thin films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering for gas-sensing application. Preferential orientation along (002) plane with hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in X-ray diffraction analysis. The conductivity, resistivity, and mobility of the deposited films have been measured by Hall effect measurement. The bandgap of the films has been calculated from the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. It has been found that the bandgap was increased from 3.35 to 3.91 eV with Mg content in ZnO due to the radiative recombination of excitons. The change in morphology of the grown films has been investigated by scanning electron microscope. Gas-sensing measurements have been conducted for fabricated films. The sensor response, selectivity, and stability measurement were done for the fabricated films. Though better response was found towards ethanol, methanol, and ammonia for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%) film and maximum gas response was observed towards ammonia. The selectivity measurement reveals maximum sensitivity about 42% for ammonia. The low response time of 123 s and recovery time of 152 s towards ammonia were observed for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%). Stability of the Mg-doped ZnO thin film confirmed by the continuous sensing measurements for 4 months.

Synthesis and characterization of DC magnetron sputtered ZnO thin films under high working pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hezam, M.; Tabet, N.; Mekki, A.

2010-01-01

ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates using direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering under high working pressures. A pure zinc target was used, and sputtering was carried out in an oxygen atmosphere. The working pressure was varied between 50 and 800 mTorr. XRD characterization showed that for a window of working pressures between 300 and 500 mTorr, the deposited films were polycrystalline, with strong preferential orientation of grains along the c-axis. The film deposited at 400 mTorr had the highest (002) peak with the largest estimated grain size. Outside this window, the crystallinity and c-orientation of grains are lost. The microstructure of the films was investigated by Atomic Force microscopy (AFM). Optical transparency of the films was about 85%. The films produced were highly resistive, which might provide new alternatives for the synthesis of ZnO thin films aimed for SAW devices.

Thermal oxidation of Ni films for p-type thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Jie; Wang, Xinghui; Zhang, Qing; Li, Jingqi; Zhang, Xixiang

2013-01-01

p-Type nanocrystal NiO-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated by simply oxidizing thin Ni films at temperatures as low as 400 °C. The highest field-effect mobility in a linear region and the current on-off ratio are found to be 5.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 and 2.2 × 103, respectively. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electrical performances of the TFTs with "top contact" and "bottom contact" channels suggest that the upper parts of the Ni films are clearly oxidized. In contrast, the lower parts in contact with the gate dielectric are partially oxidized to form a quasi-discontinuous Ni layer, which does not fully shield the gate electric field, but still conduct the source and drain current. This simple method for producing p-type TFTs may be promising for the next-generation oxide-based electronic applications. © 2013 the Owner Societies.

Improved damp heat stability of Ga-Doped ZnO thin film by pretreatment of the polyethylene terephthalate substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, B. B.; Seo, S. G.; Lim, Y. S.; Choi, H.-S.; Seo, W.-S.; Park, H.-H.

2013-09-01

A study on the damp heat stability of transparent conducting ZnO thin film grown on a polyethylene terephthalate substrate (PET) is reported. By thermal annealing of the PET substrate at 100°C with Ar flow in a vacuum chamber prior to the sputtering growth of Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin film, significantly enhanced damp heat stability was achieved at 60°C with a 90% relative humidity. Electrical and structural characterizations of the GZO thin films were carried out and the effects of the pretreatment on the improved damp heat stability are discussed.

Friction and wear behavior of nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films deposited via MOCVD under dry contact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

U.S. Mbamara

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Most researches on doped ZnO thin films are tilted toward their applications in optoelectronics and semiconductor devices. Research on their tribological properties is still unfolding. In this work, nitrogen-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on 304 L stainless steel substrate from a combination of zinc acetate and ammonium acetate precursor by MOCVD technique. Compositional and structural studies of the films were done using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS and X-ray Diffraction (XRD. The frictional behavior of the thin film coatings was evaluated using a ball-on-flat configuration in reciprocating sliding under dry contact condition. After friction test, the flat and ball counter-face surfaces were examined to assess the wear dimension and failure mechanism. Both friction behavior and wear (in the ball counter-face were observed to be dependent on the crystallinity and thickness of the thin film coatings.

Defect-band mediated ferromagnetism in Gd-doped ZnO thin films

KAUST Repository

Venkatesh, S.

2015-01-07

Gd-doped ZnO thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition with Gd concentrations varying from 0.02–0.45 atomic percent (at. %) showed deposition oxygen pressure controlled ferromagnetism. Thin films prepared with Gd dopant levels (

Mapping of trap densities and hotspots in pentacene thin-film transistors by frequency-resolved scanning photoresponse microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Westermeier, Christian; Fiebig, Matthias; Nickel, Bert

2013-10-25

Frequency-resolved scanning photoresponse microscopy of pentacene thin-film transistors is reported. The photoresponse pattern maps the in-plane distribution of trap states which is superimposed by the level of trap filling adjusted by the gate voltage of the transistor. Local hotspots in the photoresponse map thus indicate areas of high trap densities within the pentacene thin film. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH 8 Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of high-energy electron beam irradiation on the transmittance of ZnO thin films on transparent substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Eui-Jung; Jung, Jin-Woo; Han, Young-Hwan; Kim, Min-Wan; Lee, Byung Cheol

2010-01-01

We investigated in this study the effects of high-energy electron beam irradiation (HEEBI) on the optical transmittance of undoped ZnO films grown on transparent substrates, such as corning glass and polyethersulfone (PES) plastic substrates, with a radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering technique. The ZnO thin films were treated with HEEBI in air at RT with an electron beam energy of 1 MeV and doses of 4.7 x 10 14 - 4.7 x 10 16 electrons/cm 2 . The optical transmittance of the ZnO films was measured using an ultraviolet visible near-infrared spectrophotometer. The detailed estimation process for separating the transmittance of HEEBI-treated ZnO films from the total transmittance of ZnO films on transparent substrates treated with HEEBI is given in this paper. We concluded that HEEBI causes a slight suppression in the optical transmittance of ZnO thin films. We also concluded that HEEBI treatment with a high dose shifted the optical band gap (E g ) toward the lower energy region from 3.29 to 3.28 eV whereas that with a low dose unchanged E g at 3.25 eV. This shift suggested that HEEBI at RT at a high dose acts like an annealing treatment at high temperature.

In-situ study of pn-heterojunction interface states in organic thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ye, Rongbin, E-mail: ye@iwate-u.ac.jp; Ohta, Koji; Baba, Mamoru

2014-03-03

In this paper, we have investigated the density of pn-heterojunction interface states by evaluating the threshold voltage shift with in-situ measurement of electrical characteristics of a sandwich fluorinated copper phthalocyanine/pentacene thin film transistor with various thicknesses of pentacene thin films. A threshold voltage (V{sub T}) undergoes a significant shift from + 20.6 to + 0.53 V with increasing the thickness of pentacene. When the thickness of pentacene is more than a critical thickness of 15 nm, V{sub T} undergoes hardly any shift. On the other hand, the value of mobility is lightly decreased with increasing the thickness of pentacene due to the effect of the bulk current. Thus the V{sub T} shift is attributed to the increase of drain current in the sandwich device. In order to explain the V{sub T} shift, a model was assumed in the linear region of thin film transistor operation and the V{sub T} shift agrees with a tan{sup −1} function of film thickness. The total charge density (Q{sub 0}) of 1.53 × 10{sup −7} C/cm{sup 2} (9.56 × 10{sup 11} electrons or holes/cm{sup 2}) was obtained. Furthermore, the V{sub T} shift and Q{sub 0} could be adjusted by selecting a p-type semiconductor. - Highlights: • A threshold voltage was in-situ measured in an organic sandwich thin film transistor. • Density of pn-heterojunction interface states by evaluating the threshold voltage shift. • The threshold voltage shift attributes to the increase of drain current. • In order to explain the threshold voltage shift, a model was assumed.

Properties of fluorine and tin co-doped ZnO thin films deposited by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Zhanchang; Zhang, Pengwei; Tian, Xinlong; Cheng, Guo; Xie, Yinghao; Zhang, Huangchu; Zeng, Xiangfu; Xiao, Chumin; Hu, Guanghui; Wei, Zhigang

2013-01-01

Highlights: •F and Sn co-doped ZnO thin films were synthesized by sol–gel method. •The effects of different F doping concentrations were investigated. •The co-doped nanocrystals exhibit good crystal quality. •The origin of the photoluminescence emissions was discussed. •The films showed high transmittance and low resistivity. -- Abstract: Highly transparent and conducting fluorine (F) and tin (Sn) co-doped ZnO (FTZO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by the sol–gel processing. The structure and morphology of the films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with various F doping concentrations. SEM images showed that the hexagonal ZnO crystals were well-arranged on the glass substrates and the HRTEM images indicated that the individual nanocrystals are highly oriented and exhibited a perfect lattice structure. Owing to its high carrier concentration and mobility, as well as good crystal quality, a minimum resistivity of 1 × 10 −3 Ω cm was obtained from the FTZO thin film with 3% F doping, and the average optical transmittance in the entire visible wavelength region was higher than 90%. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study confirmed the substitution of Zn 2+ by Sn ions and Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) observed for pure and FTZO thin films suggested the films exhibit a good crystallinity with a very low defect concentration

Indium Sulfide and Indium Oxide Thin Films Spin-Coated from Triethylammonium Indium Thioacetate Precursor for n-Channel Thin Film Transistor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tung, Duy Dao; Jeong, Hyun Dam [Chonnam Natioal University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2014-09-15

The In{sub 2}S{sub 3} thin films of tetragonal structure and In{sub 2}O{sub 3} films of cubic structure were synthesized by a spin coating method from the organometallic compound precursor triethylammonium indium thioacetate ([(Et){sub 3}NH]+ [In(SCOCH{sub 3}){sub 4}]''-; TEA-InTAA). In order to determine the electron mobility of the spin-coated TEA-InTAA films, thin film transistors (TFTs) with an inverted structure using a gate dielectric of thermal oxide (SiO{sub 2}) was fabricated. These devices exhibited n-channel TFT characteristics with a field-effect electron mobility of 10.1 cm''2 V''-1s''-1 at a curing temperature of 500 o C, indicating that the semiconducting thin film material is applicable for use in low-cost, solution-processed printable electronics.

Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadav, Harish Kumar [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Sreenivas, K [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India); Katiyar, R S [Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931-3343 (Puerto Rico); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 (India)

2007-10-07

We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm{sup -1}. The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A{sub 1} (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries.

Defect induced activation of Raman silent modes in rf co-sputtered Mn doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Sreenivas, K; Katiyar, R S; Gupta, Vinay

2007-01-01

We study the influence of Mn doping on the vibrational properties of rf sputtered ZnO thin films. Raman spectra of the Mn doped ZnO samples reveal two additional vibrational modes, in addition to the host phonon modes, at 252 and 524 cm -1 . The intensity of the additional modes increases continuously with Mn concentration in ZnO and can be used as an indication of Mn incorporation in ZnO. The modes are assigned to the activation of ZnO silent modes due to relaxation of Raman selection rules produced by the breakdown of the translational symmetry of the crystal lattice with the incorporation of Mn at the Zn site. Furthermore, the A 1 (LO) mode is observed with very high intensity in the Raman spectra of undoped ZnO thin film and is attributed to the built-in electric field at the grain boundaries

Operating method of amorphous thin film semiconductor element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mori, Koshiro; Ono, Masaharu; Hanabusa, Akira; Osawa, Michio; Arita, Takashi

1988-05-31

The existing technologies concerning amorphous thin film semiconductor elements are the technologies concerning the formation of either a thin film transistor or an amorphous Si solar cell on a substrate. In order to drive a thin film transistor for electronic equipment control by the output power of an amorphous Si solar cell, it has been obliged to drive the transistor weth an amorphous solar cell which was formed on a substrate different from that for the transistor. Accordingly, the space for the amorphous solar cell, which was formed on the different substrate, was additionally needed on the substrate for the thin film transistor. In order to solve the above problem, this invention proposes an operating method of an amorphous thin film semiconductor element that after forming an amorphous Si solar cell through lamination on the insulation coating film which covers the thin film transistor formed on the substrate, the thin film transistor is driven by the output power of this solar cell. The invention eliminates the above superfluous space and reduces the size of the amorphous thin film semiconductor element including the electric source. (3 figs)

Annealing Temperature Dependent Structural and Optical Properties of RF Sputtered ZnO Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Shashikant; Varma, Tarun; Asokan, K; Periasamy, C; Boolchandani, Dharmendar

2017-01-01

This work investigates the effect of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films grown over Si 100 and glass substrates using RF sputtering technique. Annealing temperature has been varied from 300 °C to 600 °C in steps of 100, and different microstructural parameters such as grain size, dislocation density, lattice constant, stress and strain have been evaluated. The structural and surface morphological characterization has been done using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). XRD analysis reveals that the peak intensity of 002 crystallographic orientation increases with increased annealing temperature. Optical characterization of deposited films have been done using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectrometer. An increase in optical bandgap of deposited ZnO thin films with increasing annealing temperature has been observed. The average optical transmittance was found to be more than 85% for all deposited films. Photoluminiscense spectra (PL) suggest that the crystalline quality of deposited film has increased at higher annealing temperature.

Microstructure of ZnO thin films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, A.N., E-mail: amber.reed.5@us.af.mil [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, 3005 Hobson Way, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433 (United States); Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 (United States); Shamberger, P.J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Hu, J.J. [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, 3005 Hobson Way, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433 (United States); University of Dayton Research Institute, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 (United States); Muratore, C. [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 (United States); Bultman, J.E. [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, 3005 Hobson Way, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433 (United States); University of Dayton Research Institute, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469 (United States); Voevodin, A.A., E-mail: andrey.voevodin@us.af.mil [Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, 3005 Hobson Way, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433 (United States)

2015-03-31

High power impulse magnetron sputtering was used to deposit thin (~ 100 nm) zinc oxide (ZnO) films from a ceramic ZnO target onto substrates heated to 150 °C. The resulting films had strong crystallinity, highly aligned (002) texture and low surface roughness (root mean square roughness less than 10 nm), as determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force spectroscopy measurements. Deposition pressure and target–substrate distance had the greatest effect on film microstructure. The degree of alignment in the films was strongly dependent on the gas pressure. Deposition at pressures less than 0.93 Pa resulted in a bimodal distribution of grain sizes. An initial growth layer with preferred orientations (101) and (002) parallel to the interface was observed at the film–substrate interface under all conditions examined here; the extent of that competitive region was dependent on growth conditions. Time-resolved current measurements of the target and ion energy distributions, determined using energy resolved mass spectrometry, were correlated to film microstructure in order to investigate the effect of plasma conditions on film nucleation and growth. - Highlights: • Low temperature growth of nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) films. • ZnO films had a highly (002) textured, smooth, dense microstructure. • Dominant (002) orientation of films was pressure dependent. • Interfacial (101)/(002) mixed orientation layer controlled by substrate location.

Correlation between active layer thickness and ambient gas stability in IGZO thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Xu; Mao, Bao-Hua; Wang, Sui-Dong; Lin, Meng-Fang; Shimizu, Maki; Mitoma, Nobuhiko; Kizu, Takio; Ou-Yang, Wei; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Nabatame, Toshihide; Liu, Zhi

2017-01-01

Decreasing the active layer thickness has been recently reported as an alternative way to achieve fully depleted oxide thin-film transistors for the realization of low-voltage operations. However, the correlation between the active layer thickness and device resistivity to environmental changes is still unclear, which is important for the optimized design of oxide thin-film transistors. In this work, the ambient gas stability of IGZO thin-film transistors is found to be strongly correlated to the IGZO thickness. The TFT with the thinnest IGZO layer shows the highest intrinsic electron mobility in a vacuum, which is greatly reduced after exposure to O 2 /air. The device with a thick IGZO layer shows similar electron mobility in O 2 /air, whereas the mobility variation measured in the vacuum is absent. The thickness dependent ambient gas stability is attributed to a high-mobility region in the IGZO surface vicinity with less sputtering-induced damage, which will become electron depleted in O 2 /air due to the electron transfer to adsorbed gas molecules. The O 2 adsorption and deduced IGZO surface band bending is demonstrated by the ambient-pressure x-ray photoemission spectroscopy results. (paper)

Optical and electrical properties of transparent conducting B-doped ZnO thin films prepared by various deposition methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomoto, Jun-ichi; Miyata, Toshihiro; Minami, Tadatsugu

2011-01-01

B-doped ZnO (BZO) thin films were prepared with various thicknesses up to about 500 nm on glass substrates at 200 deg. C by dc or rf magnetron sputtering deposition, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) methods. Resistivities of 4-6 x 10 -4 Ω cm were obtained in BZO thin films prepared with a B content [B/(B + Zn) atomic ratio] around 1 at. % by PLD and VAPE methods: Hall mobilities above 40 cm 2 /Vs and carrier concentrations on the order of 10 20 cm -3 . All 500-nm-thick-BZO thin films prepared with a resistivity on the order of 10 -3 -10 -4 Ω cm exhibited an averaged transmittance above 80% in the wavelength range of 400-1100 nm. The resistivity in BZO thin films prepared with a thickness below about 500 nm was found to increase over time with exposure to various high humidity environments. In heat-resistance tests, the resistivity stability of BZO thin films was found to be nearly equal to that of Ga-doped ZnO thin films, so these films were judged suitable for use as a transparent electrode for thin-film solar cells.

Influence of lithium doping on the structural and electrical characteristics of ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johny, T. Anto [Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), (Department of Information Technology, Scientific Society, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Govt. of India), Athani - PO, Thrissur, 680 581 Kerala (India); Kumar, Viswanathan, E-mail: vkumar10@yahoo.com [Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), (Department of Information Technology, Scientific Society, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Govt. of India), Athani - PO, Thrissur, 680 581 Kerala (India); Imai, Hideyuki; Kanno, Isaku [Micro Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan)

2012-06-30

Thin films of undoped and lithium-doped Zinc oxide, (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O; x = 0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 were prepared by sol-gel method using spin-coating technique on silicon substrates [(111)Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si)]. The influence of lithium doping on the structural, electrical and microstructural characteristics have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, leakage current, piezoelectric measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The resistivity of the ZnO film is found to increase markedly with low levels (x {<=} 0.05) of lithium doping thereby enhancing their piezoelectric applications. The transverse piezoelectric coefficient, e{sub 31}{sup Low-Asterisk} has been determined for the thin films having the composition (Zn{sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05})O, to study their suitability for piezoelectric applications. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Preferentially c-axis oriented (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O films were spin-coated on glass. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O thin films exhibit dense columnar microstructure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Low levels of lithium doping, increases the electrical resistivity of ZnO thin films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer (Zn{sub 1-x}Li{sub x})O thin films show high values of transverse piezoelectric coefficient, e{sup Low-Asterisk }{sub 31}.

Synthesis of ZnO thin film by sol-gel spin coating technique for H2S gas sensing application

Science.gov (United States)

Nimbalkar, Amol R.; Patil, Maruti G.

2017-12-01

In this present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film synthesized by a simple sol-gel spin coating technique. The structural, morphology, compositional, microstructural, optical, electrical and gas sensing properties of the film were studied by using XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, HRTEM, Raman, FTIR and UV-vis techniques. The ZnO thin film shows hexagonal wurtzite structure with a porous structured morphology. Gas sensing performance of synthesized ZnO thin film was tested initially for H2S gas at different operating temperatures as well as concentrations. The maximum gas response is achieved towards H2S gas at 300 °C operating temperature, at 100 ppm gas concentration as compared to other gases like CH3OH, Cl2, NH3, LPG, CH3COCH3, and C2H5OH with a good stability.

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Mn doped ZnO Thin Film Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

KAUST Repository

Baras, Abdulaziz

2011-07-01

Diluted magnetic oxide (DMO) research is a growing field of interdisciplinary study like spintronic devices and medical imaging. A definite agreement among researchers concerning the origin of ferromagnetism in DMO has yet to be reached. This thesis presents a study on the structural and magnetic properties of DMO thin films. It attempts to contribute to the understanding of ferromagnetism (FM) origin in DMO. Pure ZnO and Mn doped ZnO thin films have been deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using different deposition conditions. This was conducted in order to correlate the change between structural and magnetic properties. Structural properties of the films were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) was used to investigate the magnetic properties of these films. The structural characterizations showed that the quality of pure ZnO and Mn doped ZnO films increased as oxygen pressure (PO) increased during deposition. All samples were insulators. In Mn doped films, Mn concentration decreased as PO increased. The Mn doped ZnO samples were deposited at 600˚C and oxygen pressure from 50-500mTorr. All Mn doped films displayed room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM). However, at 5 K a superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior was observed in these samples. This result was accounted for by the supposition that there were secondary phase(s) causing the superparamagnetic behavior. Our findings hope to strengthen existing research on DMO origins and suggest that secondary phases are the core components that suppress the ferromagnetism. Although RTFM and SPM at low temperature has been observed in other systems (e.g., Co doped ZnO), we are the first to report this behavior in Mn doped ZnO. Future research might extend the characterization and exploration of ferromagnetism in this system.

Effect of stress, strain and optical properties in vacuum and normal annealed ZnO thin films using RF magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, B. Santhosh; Purvaja, K.; Harinee, N.; Venkateswaran, C.

2018-05-01

Zinc oxide thin films have been deposited on quartz substrate using RF magnetron sputtering. The deposited films were subjected to different annealing atmosphere at a fixed temperature of 500 °C for 5h. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveals the shift in the peak of both normal annealed and vacuum annealed thin films when compared to as-deposited ZnO film. The crystallite size, intrinsic stress and other parameters were calculated from XRD data. The surface morphology of the obtained films were studied using Atomic force microscopy (AFM). From Uv-Visible spectroscopy, the peak at 374 nm of all the films is characteristics of ZnO. The structural, thermal stability and optical properties of the annealed ZnO films are discussed in detail.

Facing-target sputtering deposition of ZnO films with Pt ultra-thin layers for gas-phase photocatalytic application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhonghai; Hossain, Md. Faruk.; Arakawa, Takuya; Takahashi, Takakazu

2010-01-01

In this paper, various zinc oxide (ZnO) films are deposited by a versatile and effective dc-reactive facing-target sputtering method. The ratios of Ar to O 2 in the mixture gas are varied from 8:2 to 6:4 at a fixed sputtering pressure of 1.0 Pa. X-ray diffraction, spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope are used to study the crystal structure, optical property and surface morphology of the as-deposited films. The Pt ultra-thin layer, ∼2 nm thick, is deposited on the surface of ZnO film by dc diode sputtering with a mesh mask controlling the coated area. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO films and Pt-ZnO films is evaluated by decomposition of methanol under UV-vis light irradiation. The variation of photocatalytic activity depends on the ratios of Ar to O 2 , which is mainly attributed to the different grain size and carrier mobility. Though the pure ZnO film normally shows a low gas-phase photocatalytic activity, its activity is significantly enhanced by depositing Pt ultra-thin layer.

Preparation of cadmium-doped ZnO thin films by SILAR and their ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Cadmium-doped zinc oxide (Cd : ZnO) thin films were deposited from sodium zincate bath .... of complex ion on the substrate followed by reaction of the .... Intensity (a.u.). 0. 500 .... trum confirmed the presence of Zn, O and Cd elements in the.

Lifetime prediction of InGaZnO thin film transistor for the application of display device and BEOL-transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sang Min; Cho, Won Ju; Yu, Chong Gun; Park, Jong Tae

2018-04-01

In this work, the lifetime prediction models of amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) were suggested for the application of display device and BEOL (Back End Of line) transistors with embedded a-IGZO TFTs. Four different types of test devices according to the active layer thickness, source/drain electrode materials and thermal treatments have been used to verify the suggested model. The device lifetimes under high gate bias stress and hot carrier stress were extracted through fittings of the stretched-exponential equation for threshold voltage shifts and the current estimation method for drain current degradations. Our suggested lifetime prediction models could be used in any kinds of structures of a-IGZO TFTs for the application of display device and BEOL transistors. The a-IGZO TFTs with embedded ITO local conducting layer under source/drain is better for BEOL transistor application and a-IGZO TFTs with InGaZnO thin film as source/drain electrodes may be better for the application of display devices. From 1983 to 1985, he was a Researcher at Gold-Star Semiconductor, Inc., Korea, where he worked on the development of SRAM. He joined the Department of Electronics Engineering, University of Incheon, Incheon, Korea, in 1987, where he is a Professor. As a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1991, he conducted research in hot carrier reliability of CMOS. As a visiting scholar at University of California, Davis, in 2001, he conducted research on the device structure of Nano-scale SOI CMOS. His recent interests are device structure and reliability of Nano-scale CMOS devices, flash memory, and thin film transistors.

Investigation of the correlation between dielectric function, thickness and morphology of nano-granular ZnO very thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilliot, Mickaël, E-mail: mickael.gilliot@univ-reims.fr [Laboratoire d' Ingénierie et Sciences des Matériaux, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France); Hadjadj, Aomar [Laboratoire d' Ingénierie et Sciences des Matériaux, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France); Martin, Jérôme [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, Université de Technologie de Troyes (France)

2015-12-31

Thin nano-granular ZnO layers were prepared using a sol–gel synthesis and spin-coating deposition process with a thickness ranging between 20 and 120 nm. The complex dielectric function (ϵ) of the ZnO film was determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Up to a critical thickness close to 60 nm, the magnitude of both the real and the imaginary parts of ϵ rapidly increases and then slowly tends to values closer to the bulk ZnO material. This trend suggests a drastic change in the film porosity at both sides of this critical thickness, due to the pre-heating and post-crystallization processes, as confirmed by additional characterization of the structure and the morphology of the ZnO films. - Highlights: • c-Axis oriented ZnO thin films were grown with different morphological states. • The morphology and structures are controlled by controlling the thickness. • The optical properties are correlated to morphological evolution. • Two growth behaviors and property evolutions are identified around a critical thickness.

Homo-junction ferroelectric field-effect-transistor memory device using solution-processed lithium-doped zinc oxide thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Pradipta K.; Caraveo-Frescas, J. A.; Bhansali, Unnat. S.; Alshareef, H. N.

2012-06-01

High performance homo-junction field-effect transistor memory devices were prepared using solution processed transparent lithium-doped zinc oxide thin films for both the ferroelectric and semiconducting active layers. A highest field-effect mobility of 8.7 cm2/Vs was obtained along with an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. The ferroelectric thin film transistors showed a low sub-threshold swing value of 0.19 V/dec and a significantly reduced device operating voltage (±4 V) compared to the reported hetero-junction ferroelectric transistors, which is very promising for low-power non-volatile memory applications.

Conduction mechanism in amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhoolokam, A.; Nag, M.; Steudel, S.; Genoe, J.; Gelinck, G.; Kadashchuk, A.; Groeseneken, G.; Heremans, P.

2016-01-01

We validate a model which is a combination of multiple trapping and release and percolation model for describing the conduction mechanism in amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFT). We show that using just multiple trapping and release or percolation model is

High-temperature performance of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors: Direct current and pulse current-voltage characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, C.; Samnakay, R.; Balandin, A. A., E-mail: balandin@ee.ucr.edu [Nano-Device Laboratory (NDL), Department of Electrical Engineering, Bourns College of Engineering, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Phonon Optimized Engineered Materials (POEM) Center, Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California 92521 (United States); Rumyantsev, S. L. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States); Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg 194021 (Russian Federation); Shur, M. S. [Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Center for Integrated Electronics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

2015-02-14

We report on fabrication of MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors (TFTs) and experimental investigations of their high-temperature current-voltage characteristics. The measurements show that MoS{sub 2} devices remain functional to temperatures of at least as high as 500 K. The temperature increase results in decreased threshold voltage and mobility. The comparison of the direct current (DC) and pulse measurements shows that the direct current sub-linear and super-linear output characteristics of MoS{sub 2} thin-films devices result from the Joule heating and the interplay of the threshold voltage and mobility temperature dependences. At temperatures above 450 K, a kink in the drain current occurs at zero gate voltage irrespective of the threshold voltage value. This intriguing phenomenon, referred to as a “memory step,” was attributed to the slow relaxation processes in thin films similar to those in graphene and electron glasses. The fabricated MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors demonstrated stable operation after two months of aging. The obtained results suggest new applications for MoS{sub 2} thin-film transistors in extreme-temperature electronics and sensors.

Compositional influence on the electrical performance of zinc indium tin oxide transparent thin-film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsal, A.; Carreras, P.; Puigdollers, J.; Voz, C.; Galindo, S.; Alcubilla, R.; Bertomeu, J.; Antony, A.

2014-01-01

In this work, zinc indium tin oxide layers with different compositions are used as the active layer of thin film transistors. This multicomponent transparent conductive oxide is gaining great interest due to its reduced content of the scarce indium element. Experimental data indicate that the incorporation of zinc promotes the creation of oxygen vacancies, which results in a higher free carrier density. In thin-film transistors this effect leads to a higher off current and threshold voltage values. The field-effect mobility is also strongly degraded, probably due to coulomb scattering by ionized defects. A post deposition annealing in air reduces the density of oxygen vacancies and improves the field-effect mobility by orders of magnitude. Finally, the electrical characteristics of the fabricated thin-film transistors have been analyzed to estimate the density of states in the gap of the active layers. These measurements reveal a clear peak located at 0.3 eV from the conduction band edge that could be attributed to oxygen vacancies. - Highlights: • Zinc promotes the creation of oxygen vacancies in zinc indium tin oxide transistors. • Post deposition annealing in air reduces the density of oxygen. • Density of states reveals a clear peak located at 0.3 eV from the conduction band

Enhanced chemical sensing organic thin-film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Tanese, M. C.; Torsi, L.; Farinola, G. M.; Valli, L.; Hassan Omar, O.; Giancane, G.; Ieva, E.; Babudri, F.; Palmisano, F.; Naso, F.; Zambonin, P. G.

2007-09-01

Organic thin film transistor (OTFT) sensors are capable of fast, sensitive and reliable detection of a variety of analytes. They have been successfully tested towards many chemical and biological "odor" molecules showing high selectivity, and displaying the additional advantage of being compatible with plastic technologies. Their versatility is based on the possibility to control the device properties, from molecular design up to device architecture. Here phenylene-thiophene based organic semiconductors functionalized with ad hoc chosen side groups are used as active layers in sensing OTFTs. These materials, indeed, combine the detection capability of organic molecules (particularly in the case of bio-substituted systems) with the electronic properties of the conjugated backbone. A new OTFT structure including Langmuir-Schäfer layer by layer organic thin films is here proposed to perform chemical detection of organic vapors, including vapor phase chiral molecules such as citronellol vapors, with a detection limit in the ppm range. Thermally evaporated α6T based OTFT sensors are used as well to be employed as standard system in order to compare sensors performances.

Red photoluminescence and band edge shift from ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marotti, Ricardo E.; Badan, Juan A.; Quagliata, Eduardo; Dalchiele, Enrique A.

2007-01-01

The red photoluminescence (PL) band (peaked between 610 and 640 nm) from electrochemically deposited ZnO thin films is studied. The absorption coefficient is obtained from diffuse reflectance measurements. The absorption band edge depends on deposition conditions. The PL peak follows the shift of the band edge. A similar correlation appears when cooling down to 20 K. This suggests that PL is due to a transition from an intrinsic shallow state to an intrinsic deep state. Comparing against ZnO samples showing green PL, the shallow nature of the state is confirmed

Realizing luminescent downshifting in ZnO thin films by Ce doping with enhancement of photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Nripasree; Deepak, N. K.

2018-04-01

ZnO thin films doped with Ce at different concentration were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. XRD analysis revealed the phase purity and polycrystalline nature of the films with hexagonal wurtzite geometry and the composition analysis confirmed the incorporation of Ce in the ZnO lattice in the case of doped films. Crystalline quality and optical transmittance diminished while electrical conductivity enhanced with Ce doping. Ce doping resulted in a red-shift of optical energy gap due to the downshift of the conduction band minimum after merging with Ce related impurity bands formed below the conduction band in the forbidden gap. In the room temperature photoluminescence spectra, UV emission intensity of the doped films decreased while the intensity of the visible emission band increased drastically implying the degradation in crystallinity as well as the incorporation of defect levels capable of luminescence downshifting. Ce doping showed improvement in photocatalytic efficiency by effectively trapping the free carriers and then transferring for dye degradation. Thus Ce doped ZnO thin films are capable of acting as luminescent downshifters as well as efficient photocatalysts.

The electrical, elemental, optical, and surface properties of Si-doped ZnO thin films prepared by thermionic vacuum arc

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadigharehbagh, Reza; Özen, Soner; Yudar, Hafizittin Hakan; Pat, Suat; Korkmaz, Şadan

2017-09-01

The purpose of this work is to study the properties of Si-doped ZnO (SZO) thin films, which were prepared using the non-reactive thermionic vacuum arc technique. The analysis of the elemental, optical, and surface properties of ZnO:Si thin films was carried out using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectrophotometry, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The current-voltage measurement was employed in order to study the electrical properties of the films. The effect of Si doping on the physical properties of ZnO films was investigated. The film thicknesses were measured as 55 and 35 nm for glass and PET substrates, respectively. It was clearly observed from the x-ray diffraction results that the Si and ZnO peaks were present in the coated SZO films for all samples. The morphological studies showed that the deposited surfaces are homogenous, dense, and have a uniform surface, with the existence of some cracks only on the glass substrate. The elemental composition has confirmed the existence of Zn, Si, and O elements within the prepared films. Using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer, the optical parameters such as transmittance, absorbance, refractive index, and reflectance were calculated. It should be noted that the transparency and refractive indices obtained from the measurements decrease with increasing Si concentration. The obtained optical bandgap values using transmittance spectra were determined to be 3.74 and 3.84 eV for the glass and PET substrates, respectively. An increase in the bandgap results demonstrates that the Si doping concentration is comparable to the pure ZnO thin films. The current versus voltage curves revealed the ohmic nature of the films. Subsequently, the development and fabrication of excellent transparent conducting electrodes enabled the appropriate use of Si-doped ZnO thin films.

Influence of Ag thickness of aluminum-doped ZnO/Ag/aluminum-doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Hung-Wei, E-mail: hwwu@mail.ksu.edu.tw [Department of Computer and Communication, Kun Shan University, No. 949, Dawan Rd., Yongkang Dist., Tainan City 710, Taiwan (China); Yang, Ru-Yuan [Graduate Institute of Materials Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuefu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung City 912, Taiwan (China); Hsiung, Chin-Min; Chu, Chien-Hsun [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuefu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung City 912, Taiwan (China)

2012-10-01

Highly conducting aluminum-doped ZnO (30 nm)/Ag (5-15 nm)/aluminum-doped ZnO (30 nm) multilayer thin films were deposited on glass substrate by rf magnetron sputtering (for top/bottom aluminum-doped ZnO films) and e-beam evaporation (for Ag film). The transmittance is more than 70% for wavelengths above 400 nm with the Ag layer thickness of 10 nm. The resistivity is 3.71 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} {Omega}-cm, which can be decreased to 3.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} {Omega}-cm with the increase of the Ag layer thickness to 15 nm. The Haacke figure of merit has been calculated for the films with the best value being 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -3} {Omega}{sup -1}. It was shown that the multilayer thin films have potential for applications in optoelectronics. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High-quality Al-doped ZnO (AZO)/Ag/AZO Transparent Conducting Oxide films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AZO films (30 nm) made by RF sputtering; E-beam evaporation for Ag film (5-15 nm). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Influence of Ag thickness on optical and electrical properties were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High quality multilayer film with optimal intermediate Ag layer thickness of 10 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 3.71 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} {Omega}-cm resistivity, 91.89% transmittance at 470 nm obtained and reproducible.

Development of transparent conductive indium and fluorine co-doped ZnO thin films: Effect of F concentration and post-annealing temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hadri, A. [University Mohammed V, Faculty of Sciences, Physics Department, LPM, B.P. 1014, Rabat (Morocco); Taibi, M. [University of Mohammed V, LPCMIN, Ecole Normale Superieure, Rabat (Morocco); Loghmarti, M.; Nassiri, C.; Slimani Tlemçani, T. [University Mohammed V, Faculty of Sciences, Physics Department, LPM, B.P. 1014, Rabat (Morocco); Mzerd, A., E-mail: mzerd@yahoo.fr [University Mohammed V, Faculty of Sciences, Physics Department, LPM, B.P. 1014, Rabat (Morocco)

2016-02-29

In the present work ZnO, In doped ZnO and In-F co-doped ZnO (IFZO) films were synthesized on heated glass substrates (350 °C) by the chemical spray technique. The effect of fluorine concentration on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties was studied. It was observed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) that the films have a polycrystalline structure and the intensity of the peaks depend on the doping and co-doping concentration. No diffraction peak related to dopants in XRD patterns along with shift in peaks angles to ZnO proved that In and F ions were doped into ZnO thin films. The Raman spectra confirm the hexagonal structure of the as-deposited films, and demonstrated an enhancement of the surface phonon mode of doped and co-doped films as compared to undoped films. The as-deposited films showed an average transmittance above 70%, in the wavelength range of 400–800 nm. A minimum electrical resistivity, in the order of 5.2 × 10{sup −} {sup 2} Ω cm was obtained for the IFZO thin film with 5 at.% F doping. Moreover, the electrical properties of doped and co-doped films were enhanced after post-deposition annealing. It was found that post-annealed thin films at 350 °C showed a decrease of one order of magnitude of the resistivity values. Such a transparent and conducting thin film can be suitable for optical and electrical applications owing to their low resistivity combined with high transmittance in the visible range. - Highlights: • Conductive transparent ZnO, IZO, IFZO thin films were deposited by spray pyrolysis. • Doping and co-doping affect morphology and optoelectrical properties. • As deposited film with high fluorine content exhibited high carrier mobility (55 cm{sup 2} V{sup −} {sup 1} s{sup −} {sup 1}). • Correlation between intrinsic defects and carrier mobility was observed. • Post-annealing in Ar atmosphere improves conductivity.

The importance of spinning speed in fabrication of spin-coated organic thin film transistors: Film morphology and field effect mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotsuki, Kenji; Tanaka, Hiroshige; Obata, Seiji; Stauss, Sven; Terashima, Kazuo; Saiki, Koichiro

2014-01-01

We have investigated the film morphology and the field effect mobility of 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) thin films which were formed by spin coating on the SiO 2 substrate with solution-processed graphene electrodes. The domain size and the density of aggregates in the C8-BTBT film showed the same dependence on the spinning speed. These competitive two factors (domain size and density of aggregates) give an optimum spinning speed, at which the field effect mobility of C8-BTBT transistor showed a maximum (2.6 cm 2 /V s). This result indicates the importance of spinning speed in the fabrication of solution processed organic thin film transistors by spin coating.

Investigations of rapid thermal annealing induced structural evolution of ZnO: Ge nanocomposite thin films via GISAXS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ceylan, Abdullah, E-mail: aceylanabd@yahoo.com [Department of Physics Eng., Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800 Ankara (Turkey); Ozcan, Yusuf [Department of Electricity and Energy, Pamukkale University, Denizli (Turkey); Orujalipoor, Ilghar [Department of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800 Ankara (Turkey); Huang, Yen-Chih; Jeng, U-Ser [National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, 101 Hsin-Ann Road, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Ide, Semra [Department of Physics Eng., Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800 Ankara (Turkey); Department of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06800 Ankara (Turkey)

2016-06-07

In this work, we present in depth structural investigations of nanocomposite ZnO: Ge thin films by utilizing a state of the art grazing incidence small angle x-ray spectroscopy (GISAXS) technique. The samples have been deposited by sequential r.f. and d.c. sputtering of ZnO and Ge thin film layers, respectively, on single crystal Si(100) substrates. Transformation of Ge layers into Ge nanoparticles (Ge-np) has been initiated by ex-situ rapid thermal annealing of asprepared thin film samples at 600 °C for 30, 60, and 90 s under forming gas atmosphere. A special attention has been paid on the effects of reactive and nonreactive growth of ZnO layers on the structural evolution of Ge-np. GISAXS analyses have been performed via cylindrical and spherical form factor calculations for different nanostructure types. Variations of the size, shape, and distributions of both ZnO and Ge nanostructures have been determined. It has been realized that GISAXS results are not only remarkably consistent with the electron microscopy observations but also provide additional information on the large scale size and shape distribution of the nanostructured components.

Post-annealing effect on the room-temperature ferromagnetism in Cu-doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Yu-Min; Kuang, Chein-Hsiun; Han, Tai-Chun; Yu, Chin-Chung; Li, Sih-Sian

2015-01-01

In this work, we investigated the structural and magnetic properties of both as-deposited and post-annealed Cu-doped ZnO thin films for better understanding the possible mechanisms of room-temperature ferromagnetism (RT-FM) in ZnO-based diluted magnetic oxides. All of the films have a c-axis-oriented wurtzite structure and display RT-FM. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the incorporated Cu ions in as-deposited films are in 1+ valence state merely, while an additional 2+ valence state occurs in post-annealed films. The presence of Cu 2+ state in post-annealed film accompanies a higher magnetization value than that of as-deposited film and, in particular, the magnetization curves at 10 K and 300 K of the post-annealed film separate distinctly. Since Cu 1+ ion has a filled 3d band, the RT-FM in as-deposited Cu-doped ZnO thin films may stem solely from intrinsic defects, while that in post-annealed films is enhanced due to the presence of CuO crystallites

Low-temperature deposition of ZnO thin films on PET and glass substrates by DC-sputtering technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, A.N.; Ghosh, C.K.; Chattopadhyay, K.K.; Minoura, Hideki; Sarkar, Ajay K.; Akiba, Atsuya; Kamiya, Atsushi; Endo, Tamio

2006-01-01

The structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films (260 - 490 nm thick) deposited by direct-current sputtering technique, at a relatively low-substrate temperature (363 K), onto polyethylene terephthalate and glass substrates have been investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the proper phase formation of the material. Optical transmittance data show high transparency (80% to more than 98%) of the films in the visible portion of solar radiation. Slight variation in the transparency of the films is observed with a variation in the deposition time. Electrical characterizations show the room-temperature conductivity of the films deposited onto polyethylene terephthalate substrates for 4 and 5 h around 0.05 and 0.25 S cm -1 , respectively. On the other hand, for the films deposited on glass substrates, these values are 8.5 and 9.6 S cm -1 for similar variation in the deposition time. Room-temperature conductivity of the ZnO films deposited on glass substrates is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of ZnO films deposited onto polyethylene terephthalate substrates under identical conditions. Hall-measurements show the maximum carrier concentration of the films on PET and glass substrate around 2.8 x 10 16 and 3.1 x 10 2 cm -3 , respectively. This report will provide newer applications of ZnO thin films in flexible display technology

P-type Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin film transistors processed at low temperatures

KAUST Repository

Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

2013-10-09

P-type Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin film transistors (TFTs) with tunable performance were fabricated using room temperature sputtered copper and tin oxides. Using Cu2O film as capping layer on top of a SnO film to control its stoichiometry, we have optimized the performance of the resulting bilayer transistor. A transistor with 10 nm/15 nm Cu2O to SnO thickness ratio (25 nm total thickness) showed the best performance using a maximum process temperature of 170 C. The bilayer transistor exhibited p-type behavior with field-effect mobility, on-to-off current ratio, and threshold voltage of 0.66 cm2 V-1 s-1, 1.5×10 2, and -5.2 V, respectively. The advantages of the bilayer structure relative to single layer transistor are discussed. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Improvement in interfacial characteristics of low-voltage carbon nanotube thin-film transistors with solution-processed boron nitride thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Jun-Young; Ha, Tae-Jun, E-mail: taejunha0604@gmail.com

2017-08-15

Highlights: • We demonstrate the potential of solution-processed boron nitride (BN) thin films for nanoelectronics. • Improved interfacial characteristics reduced the leakage current by three orders of magnitude. • The BN encapsulation improves all the device key metrics of low-voltage SWCNT-TFTs. • Such improvements were achieved by reduced interaction of interfacial localized states. - Abstract: In this article, we demonstrate the potential of solution-processed boron nitride (BN) thin films for high performance single-walled carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (SWCNT-TFTs) with low-voltage operation. The use of BN thin films between solution-processed high-k dielectric layers improved the interfacial characteristics of metal-insulator-metal devices, thereby reducing the current density by three orders of magnitude. We also investigated the origin of improved device performance in SWCNT-TFTs by employing solution-processed BN thin films as an encapsulation layer. The BN encapsulation layer improves the electrical characteristics of SWCNT-TFTs, which includes the device key metrics of linear field-effect mobility, sub-threshold swing, and threshold voltage as well as the long-term stability against the aging effect in air. Such improvements can be achieved by reduced interaction of interfacial localized states with charge carriers. We believe that this work can open up a promising route to demonstrate the potential of solution-processed BN thin films on nanoelectronics.

Highly transparent and conductive Sn/F and Al co-doped ZnO thin films prepared by sol–gel method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Zhanchang; Luo, Junming; Tian, Xinlong; Wu, Shoukun; Chen, Chun; Deng, Jianfeng; Xiao, Chumin; Hu, Guanghui; Wei, Zhigang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • F/Sn and Al co-doped ZnO thin films were synthesized by sol–gel method. • The co-doped nanocrystals exhibit good crystal quality. • The origin of the photoluminescence emissions was discussed. • The films showed high transmittance and low resistivity. -- Abstract: Al doped ZnO, Al–Sn co-doped ZnO and Al–F co-doped ZnO nanocrystals were successfully synthesized onto glass substrates by the sol–gel method. The structure and morphology of the films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicated that all the films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and exhibited a c-axis preferred orientation. The electrical and optical properties were also investigated by 4-point probe device and Uv–vis spectroscopy, room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectrum (Raman), respectively. The PL and Raman results suggested that the co-doped films with a very low defect concentration and exhibit a better crystallinity than AZO thin films. The XPS study confirmed the incorporation of Al, Sn and F ions in the ZnO lattice

Optical and electrical properties of transparent conducting B-doped ZnO thin films prepared by various deposition methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nomoto, Jun-ichi; Miyata, Toshihiro; Minami, Tadatsugu [Optoelectronic Device System R and D Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, 7-1 Ohgigaoka, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501 (Japan)

2011-07-15

B-doped ZnO (BZO) thin films were prepared with various thicknesses up to about 500 nm on glass substrates at 200 deg. C by dc or rf magnetron sputtering deposition, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) methods. Resistivities of 4-6 x 10{sup -4}{Omega} cm were obtained in BZO thin films prepared with a B content [B/(B + Zn) atomic ratio] around 1 at. % by PLD and VAPE methods: Hall mobilities above 40 cm{sup 2}/Vs and carrier concentrations on the order of 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}. All 500-nm-thick-BZO thin films prepared with a resistivity on the order of 10{sup -3}-10{sup -4}{Omega} cm exhibited an averaged transmittance above 80% in the wavelength range of 400-1100 nm. The resistivity in BZO thin films prepared with a thickness below about 500 nm was found to increase over time with exposure to various high humidity environments. In heat-resistance tests, the resistivity stability of BZO thin films was found to be nearly equal to that of Ga-doped ZnO thin films, so these films were judged suitable for use as a transparent electrode for thin-film solar cells.

Applying RF Magnetron sputtering to prepare ZnO thin films and their characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, M.; Kassis, A.

2009-05-01

ZnO thin films were prepared using Rf magnetron sputtering under several preparation conditions (different values of deposition pressure, Rf power, substrate temperature). The optical properties of these films were investigated by measuring their transmission in the spectral range (300-1000 nm), and the electrical properties were investigated by measuring their electrical resistance. Results have been discussed in terms of the modified Thornton model for sputtered thin metal oxide films. Preparation conditions for depositing the highly resistive transparent i-ZnO buffer layer and the highly conducting transparent n-ZnO window layer for solar cells were proposed. (author)

Ga-doped ZnO thin film surface characterization by wavelet and fractal analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jing, Chenlei; Tang, Wu, E-mail: tang@uestc.edu.cn

2016-02-28

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Multi-resolution signal decomposition of wavelet transform is applied to Ga-doped ZnO thin films with various thicknesses. • Fractal properties of GZO thin films are investigated by box counting method. • Fractal dimension is not in conformity with original RMS roughness. • Fractal dimension mainly depends on the underside diameter (grain size) and distance between adjacent grains. - Abstract: The change in roughness of various thicknesses Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films deposited by magnetron reactive sputtering on glass substrates at room temperature was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Multi-resolution signal decomposition based on wavelet transform and fractal geometry was applied to process surface profiles, to evaluate the roughness trend of relevant frequency resolution. The results give a six-level decomposition and the results change with deposited time and surface morphology. Also, it is found that fractal dimension is closely connected to the underside diameter (grain size) and the distance between adjacent grains that affect the change rate of surface and the increase of the defects such as abrupt changes lead to a larger value of fractal dimension.

Charge transport in amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Germs, W.C.; Adriaans, W.H.; Tripathi, A.K.; Roelofs, W.S.C.; Cobb, B.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Gelinck, G.H.; Kemerink, M.

2012-01-01

We investigate the mechanism of charge transport in indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO), an amorphous metal-oxide semiconductor. We measured the field-effect mobility and the Seebeck coefficient (S=ΔV/ΔT) of a-IGZO in thin-film transistors as a function of charge-carrier density for different

Charge transport in amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Germs, W.C.; Adriaans, W.H.; Tripathi, A.K.; Roelofs, W.S.C.; Cobb, B.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Gelinck, G.H.; Kemerink, M.

2012-01-01

We investigate the mechanism of charge transport in indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO), an amorphous metal-oxide semiconductor. We measured the field-effect mobility and the Seebeck coefficient (S=¿V/¿T) of a-IGZO in thin-film transistors as a function of charge-carrier density for different

Microstructure and optical properties of nanocrystalline ZnO and ZnO:(Li or Al) thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oral, A. Yavuz [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze 41400 (Turkey)]. E-mail: aoral@gyte.edu.tr; Bahsi, Z. Banu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze 41400 (Turkey); Aslan, M. Hasan [Department of Physics, Gebze Institute of Technology, Gebze 41400 (Turkey)

2007-03-15

Zinc oxide thin films (ZnO, ZnO:Li, ZnO:Al) were deposited on glass substrates by a sol-gel technique. Zinc acetate, lithium acetate, and aluminum chloride were used as metal ion sources in the precursor solutions. XRD analysis revealed that Li doped and undoped ZnO films formed single phase zincite structure in contrast to Al:ZnO films which did not fully crystallize at the annealing temperature of 550 deg. C. Crystallized films had a grain size under 50 nm and showed c-axis grain orientation. All films had a very smooth surface with RMS surface roughness values between 0.23 and 0.35 nm. Surface roughness and optical band tail values increased by Al doping. Compared to undoped ZnO films, Li doping slightly increased the optical band gap of the films.

ZnO THIN FILMS PREPARED BY SPRAY-PYROLYSIS TECHNIQUE FROM ORGANO-METALLIC PRECURSOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Mikulics

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Presented experiments utilize methanolic solution of zinc acetyl-acetonate as a precursor and sapphire (001 as a substrate for deposition of thin films of ZnO. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed polycrystalline character of prepared films with preferential growth orientation along c-axis. The roughness of prepared films was assessed by AFM microscopy and represented by roughness root mean square (RMS value in range of 1.8 - 433 nm. The surface morphology was mapped by scanning electron microscopy showing periodical structure with several local defects. The optical transmittance spectrum of ZnO films was measured in wavelength range of 200-1000 nm. Prepared films are transparent in visible range with sharp ultra-violet cut-off at approximately 370 nm. Raman spectroscopy confirmed wurtzite structure and the presence of compressive stress within its structure as well as the occurrence of oxygen vacancies. The four-point Van der Pauw method was used to study the transport prosperities. The resistivity of presented ZnO films was found 8 × 10–2 Ω cm with carrier density of 1.3 × 1018 cm–3 and electron mobility of 40 cm2 V–1 s–1.

Structural characterization of ZnO thin films grown on various substrates by pulsed laser deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novotný, M; Bulíř, J; Lančok, J; Čížek, J; Kužel, R; Connolly, J; McCarthy, E; Krishnamurthy, S; Mosnier, J-P; Anwand, W; Brauer, G

2012-01-01

ZnO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on three different substrates: sapphire (0 0 0 1), MgO (1 0 0) and fused silica (FS). The structure and morphology of the films were characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and defect studies were carried out using slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS). Films deposited on all substrates studied in this work exhibit the wurtzite ZnO structure and are characterized by an average crystallite size of 20-100 nm. However, strong differences in the microstructure of films deposited on various substrates were found. The ZnO films deposited on MgO and sapphire single-crystalline substrates exhibit local epitaxy, i.e. a well-defined relation between film crystallites and the substrate. Domains with different orientation relationships with the substrate were found in both films. On the other hand, the film deposited on the FS substrate exhibits fibre texture with random lateral orientation of crystallites. Extremely high compressive in-plane stress of σ ∼ 14 GPa was determined in the film deposited on the MgO substrate, while the film deposited on sapphire is virtually stress-free, and the film deposited on the FS substrate exhibits a tensile in-plane stress of σ ∼ 0.9 GPa. SPIS investigations revealed that the concentration of open-volume defects in the ZnO films is substantially higher than that in a bulk ZnO single crystal. Moreover, the ZnO films deposited on MgO and sapphire single-crystalline substrates exhibit a significantly higher density of defects than the film deposited on the amorphous FS substrate. (paper)

Impact of soft annealing on the performance of solution-processed amorphous zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors

KAUST Repository

Nayak, Pradipta K.

2013-05-08

It is demonstrated that soft annealing duration strongly affects the performance of solution-processed amorphous zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors. Prolonged soft annealing times are found to induce two important changes in the device: (i) a decrease in zinc tin oxide film thickness, and (ii) an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration. The devices prepared without soft annealing exhibited inferior transistor performances, in comparison to devices in which the active channel layer (zinc tin oxide) was subjected to soft annealing. The highest saturation field-effect mobility - 5.6 cm2 V-1 s-1 with a drain-to-source on-off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 2 × 108 - was achieved in the case of devices with 10-min soft-annealed zinc tin oxide thin films as the channel layer. The findings of this work identify soft annealing as a critical parameter for the processing of chemically derived thin-film transistors, and it correlates device performance to the changes in material structure induced by soft annealing. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Exploration of Al-Doped ZnO in Photovoltaic Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Ciccarino, Christopher; Sahiner, M. Alper

The electrical properties of Al doped ZnO-based thin films represent a potential advancement in the push for increasing solar cell efficiency. Doping with Aluminum will theoretically decrease resistivity of the film and therefore achieve this potential as a viable option in the P-N junction phase of photovoltaic cells. The n-type semi-conductive characteristics of the ZnO layer will theoretically be optimized with the addition of Aluminum carriers. In this study, Aluminum doping concentrations ranging from 1-3% by mass were produced, analyzed, and compared. Films were developed onto ITO coated glass using the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique. Target thickness was 250 nm and ellipsometry measurements showed uniformity and accuracy in this regard. Active dopant concentrations were determined using Hall Effect measurements. Efficiency measurements showed possible applications of this doped compound, with upwards of 7% efficiency measured, using a Keithley 2602 SourceMeter set-up. XRD scans showed highly crystalline structures, with effective Al intertwining of the hexagonal wurtzile ZnO molecular structure. This alone indicates a promising future of collaboration between these two materials.

Amorphous Hafnium-Indium-Zinc Oxide Semiconductor Thin Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng-Po Chang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We reported on the performance and electrical properties of co-sputtering-processed amorphous hafnium-indium-zinc oxide (α-HfIZO thin film transistors (TFTs. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO thin films have shown an amorphous phase in nature. We could modulate the In, Hf, and Zn components by changing the co-sputtering power. Additionally, the chemical composition of α-HfIZO had a significant effect on reliability, hysteresis, field-effect mobility (μFE, carrier concentration, and subthreshold swing (S of the device. Our results indicated that we could successfully and easily fabricate α-HfIZO TFTs with excellent performance by the co-sputtering process. Co-sputtering-processed α-HfIZO TFTs were fabricated with an on/off current ratio of ~106, higher mobility, and a subthreshold slope as steep as 0.55 V/dec.

Structural, Morphological, and LPG Sensing Properties of Al-Doped ZnO Thin Film Prepared by SILAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shampa Mondal

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Undoped and aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR technique from ammonium zincate complex. The thin films are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM for their structural and morphological studies. Both undoped and Al-doped film show strong preferred c-axis orientation. The texture coefficient (TC of the film along (002 direction increases due to Al incorporation. SEM micrograph shows round shaped particles for pure ZnO. However AZO films show particles with off spherical shape and compact interconnected grains. Sensitivity of the film in presence of 80% LEL (lower explosive limit of LPG increases with temperature and is maximum at 325°C. Significantly high sensitivity of 87% with reasonably fast response was observed for 1% Al-doped ZnO (AZO film in presence of 1.6 vol% LPG at 325°C.

Photocatalytic Activity and Stability of Porous Polycrystalline ZnO Thin-Films Grown via a Two-Step Thermal Oxidation Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James C. Moore

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The photocatalytic activity and stability of thin, polycrystalline ZnO films was studied. The oxidative degradation of organic compounds at the ZnO surface results from the ultraviolet (UV photo-induced creation of highly oxidizing holes and reducing electrons, which combine with surface water to form hydroxyl radicals and reactive oxygen species. Therefore, the efficiency of the electron-hole pair formation is of critical importance for self-cleaning and antimicrobial applications with these metal-oxide catalyst systems. In this study, ZnO thin films were fabricated on sapphire substrates via direct current sputter deposition of Zn-metal films followed by thermal oxidation at several annealing temperatures (300–1200 °C. Due to the ease with which they can be recovered, stabilized films are preferable to nanoparticles or colloidal suspensions for some applications. Characterization of the resulting ZnO thin films through atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence indicated that decreasing annealing temperature leads to smaller crystal grain size and increased UV excitonic emission. The photocatalytic activities were characterized by UV-visible absorption measurements of Rhodamine B dye concentrations. The films oxidized at lower annealing temperatures exhibited higher photocatalytic activity, which is attributed to the increased optical quality. Photocatalytic activity was also found to depend on film thickness, with lower activity observed for thinner films. Decreasing activity with use was found to be the result of decreasing film thickness due to surface etching.

Giant coercivity in ferromagnetic Co doped ZnO single crystal thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loukya, B.; Negi, D.S.; Dileep, K.; Kumar, N.; Ghatak, Jay; Datta, R.

2013-01-01

The origin of ferromagnetism in ZnO doped with transition metal impurities has been discussed extensively and appeared to be a highly controversial and challenging topic in today's solid state physics. Magnetism observed in this system is generally weak and soft. We have grown Co:ZnO up to 30 at% Co in single crystal thin film form on c-plane sapphire. A composition dependent coercivity is observed in this system which reaches peak value at 25 at% Co, the values are 860 Oe and 1149 Oe with applied field along parallel and perpendicular to the film substrate interface respectively. This giant coercivity might pave the way to exploit this material as a magnetic semiconductor with novel logic functionalities. The findings are explained based on defect band itinerant ferromagnetism and its partial interaction with localized d electrons of Co through charge transfer. Besides large coercivity, an increase in the band gap with Co concentration has also been observed along with blue emission peak with long tail confirming the formation of extended point defect levels in the host lattice band gap. - Highlights: • Co doped ZnO ferromagnetic single crystal thin film. • Giant coercivity in Co:ZnO thin film which may help to turn this material into application. • Cathodoluminescence (CL) data showing increase in band gap with Co concentrations. • A theoretical proposal is made to explain the observed giant coercivity

Transparent thin-film transistor exploratory development via sequential layer deposition and thermal annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, David; Chiang, Hai Q.; Presley, Rick E.; Dehuff, Nicole L.; Bender, Jeffrey P.; Park, Cheol-Hee; Wager, John F.; Keszler, Douglas A.

2006-01-01

A novel deposition methodology is employed for exploratory development of a class of high-performance transparent thin-film transistor (TTFT) channel materials involving oxides composed of heavy-metal cations with (n - 1)d 10 ns 0 (n ≥ 4) electronic configurations. The method involves sequential radio-frequency sputter deposition of thin, single cation oxide layers and subsequent post-deposition annealing in order to obtain a multi-component oxide thin film. The viability of this rapid materials development methodology is demonstrated through the realization of high-performance TTFTs with channel layers composed of zinc oxide/tin oxide, and tin oxide/indium oxide

ZnO Nanoparticles/Reduced Graphene Oxide Bilayer Thin Films for Improved NH3-Sensing Performances at Room Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Huiling; Yuan, Zhen; Zheng, Weijian; Ye, Zongbiao; Liu, Chunhua; Du, Xiaosong

2016-03-01

ZnO nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) thin film were deposited on gold interdigital electrodes (IDEs) in sequence via simple spraying process, which was further restored to ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) bilayer thin film by the thermal reduction treatment and employed for ammonia (NH3) detection at room temperature. rGO was identified by UV-vis absorption spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analyses, and the adhesion between ZnO nanoparticles and rGO nanosheets might also be formed. The NH3-sensing performances of pure rGO film and ZnO/rGO bilayer films with different sprayed GO amounts were compared. The results showed that ZnO/rGO film sensors exhibited enhanced response properties, and the optimal GO amount of 1.5 ml was achieved. Furthermore, the optimal ZnO/rGO film sensor showed an excellent reversibility and fast response/recovery rate within the detection range of 10-50 ppm. Meanwhile, the sensor also displayed good repeatability and selectivity to NH3. However, the interference of water molecules on the prepared sensor is non-ignorable; some techniques should be researched to eliminate the effect of moisture in the further work. The remarkably enhanced NH3-sensing characteristics were speculated to be attributed to both the supporting role of ZnO nanoparticles film and accumulation heterojunction at the interface between ZnO and rGO. Thus, the proposed ZnO/rGO bilayer thin film sensor might give a promise for high-performance NH3-sensing applications.

Hydrogen absorption in thin ZnO films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Melikhova, O.; Čížek, J.; Lukáč, F.; Vlček, M.; Novotný, Michal; Bulíř, Jiří; Lančok, Ján; Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.; Connolly, J.; McCarthy, E.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Mosnier, J.-P.

2013-01-01

Roč. 580, suppl. 1 (2013), S40-S43 ISSN 0925-8388 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP108/11/0958 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : defects * hydrogen * positron annihilation * thin films * ZnO Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.726, year: 2013

Photoelectrocatrocatalytic hydrolysis of starch by using sprayed ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Sapkal, R. T.; Shinde, S. S.; Rajpure, K. Y.; Bhosale, C. H.

2013-05-01

Thin films of zinc oxide have been deposited onto glass/FTO substrates at optimized 400 °C by using a chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Deposited films are character photocatalytic activity by using XRD, an SEM, a UV-vis spectrophotometer, and a PEC single-cell reactor. Films are polycrystalline and have a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure with c-axis (002) orientation growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. The observed direct band gap is about 3.22 eV for typical films prepared at 400 °C. The photocatalytic activity of starch with a ZnO photocatalyst has been studied by using a novel photoelectrocatalytic process.

Photoelectrocatrocatalytic hydrolysis of starch by using sprayed ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapkal, R. T.; Shinde, S. S.; Rajpure, K.Y.; Bhosale, C. H.

2013-01-01

Thin films of zinc oxide have been deposited onto glass/FTO substrates at optimized 400 °C by using a chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Deposited films are character photocatalytic activity by using XRD, an SEM, a UV-vis spectrophotometer, and a PEC single-cell reactor. Films are polycrystalline and have a hexagonal (wurtzite) crystal structure with c-axis (002) orientation growth perpendicular to the substrate surface. The observed direct band gap is about 3.22 eV for typical films prepared at 400 °C. The photocatalytic activity of starch with a ZnO photocatalyst has been studied by using a novel photoelectrocatalytic process. (semiconductor materials)

Hydrophobic ZnO nanostructured thin films on glass substrate by simple successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, P. Suresh; Raj, A. Dhayal [Thin Film and Nanomaterials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641046 (India); Mangalaraj, D., E-mail: dmraj800@yahoo.co [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641046 (India); Nataraj, D. [Thin Film and Nanomaterials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641046 (India)

2010-10-01

In the present work, ZnO nanostructured thin films were grown on glass substrates by a simple successive ionic layer absorption and reaction method (SILAR) process at relatively low temperature for its self cleaning application. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the prepared ZnO nanostructured film. XRD pattern clearly reviles that the grown ZnO nanostructure film reflect (002) orientation with c-direction. SEM image clearly shows the surface morphology with cluster of spindle and flower-like nanostructured with diameter various around 350 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO nanostructures film exhibit a UV emission around 385nm and visible emission in the range around 420-500 nm. Good water repellent behavior were observed for ZnO nanostructured film without any surface modification.

Hydrophobic ZnO nanostructured thin films on glass substrate by simple successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, P. Suresh; Raj, A. Dhayal; Mangalaraj, D.; Nataraj, D.

2010-01-01

In the present work, ZnO nanostructured thin films were grown on glass substrates by a simple successive ionic layer absorption and reaction method (SILAR) process at relatively low temperature for its self cleaning application. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the prepared ZnO nanostructured film. XRD pattern clearly reviles that the grown ZnO nanostructure film reflect (002) orientation with c-direction. SEM image clearly shows the surface morphology with cluster of spindle and flower-like nanostructured with diameter various around 350 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnO nanostructures film exhibit a UV emission around 385nm and visible emission in the range around 420-500 nm. Good water repellent behavior were observed for ZnO nanostructured film without any surface modification.

Improvement of transistor characteristics and stability for solution-processed ultra-thin high-valence niobium doped zinc-tin oxide thin film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeng, Jiann-Shing, E-mail: jsjeng@mail.nutn.edu.tw

2016-08-15

Nb-doped Zinc tin oxide (NZTO) channel materials have been prepared by solution process in combination with the spin-coating method. All NZTO thin film transistors (TFTs) are n-type enhancement-mode devices, either without or with Nb additives. High-valence niobium ion (ionic charge = +5) has a larger ionic potential and similar ionic radius to Zn{sup 2+} and Sn{sup 4+} ions. As compared with the pure ZTO device, introducing Nb{sup 5+} ions into the ZTO channel layers can improve the electrical properties and bias stability of TFTs because of the reduction of the oxygen vacancies. This study discusses the connection among the material properties of the NZTO films and the electrical performance and bias stability of NZTO TFTs and how they are influenced by the Nb/(Nb + Sn) molar ratios of NZTO films. - Highlights: • Ultra-thin high-valence niobium doped zinc-tin oxide (NZTO) thin films are prepared using a solution process. • Nb dopants in ZTO films reduce the oxygen vacancy and subgap adsorption of the ZTO films. • The Nb-doping concentration of the NZTO channel layer has a strong influence on the TFT performance.

Blending crystalline/liquid crystalline small molecule semiconductors: A strategy towards high performance organic thin film transistors

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chao; He, Yaowu; Li, Aiyuan; Zhang, Dongwei; Meng, Hong

2016-10-01

Solution processed small molecule polycrystalline thin films often suffer from the problems of inhomogeneity and discontinuity. Here, we describe a strategy to solve these problems through deposition of the active layer from a blended solution of crystalline (2-phenyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene, Ph-BTBT) and liquid crystalline (2-(4-dodecylphenyl) [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene, C12-Ph-BTBT) small molecule semiconductors with the hot spin-coating method. Organic thin film transistors with average hole mobility approaching 1 cm2/V s, much higher than that of single component devices, have been demonstrated, mainly due to the improved uniformity, continuity, crystallinity, and stronger intermolecular π-π stacking in blend thin films. Our results indicate that the crystalline/liquid crystalline semiconductor blend method is an effective way to enhance the performance of organic transistors.

Growth of large-size-two-dimensional crystalline pentacene grains for high performance organic thin film transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chuan Du

2012-06-01

Full Text Available New approach is presented for growth of pentacene crystalline thin film with large grain size. Modification of dielectric surfaces using a monolayer of small molecule results in the formation of pentacene thin films with well ordered large crystalline domain structures. This suggests that pentacene molecules may have significantly large diffusion constant on the modified surface. An average hole mobility about 1.52 cm2/Vs of pentacene based organic thin film transistors (OTFTs is achieved with good reproducibility.

Structural, electrical, and dielectric properties of Cr doped ZnO thin films: Role of Cr concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gürbüz, Osman, E-mail: osgurbuz@yildiz.edu.tr; Okutan, Mustafa

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Magnetic material of Cr and semiconductor material of ZnO were grown by the magnetron sputtering co-sputter technique. • Perfect single crystalline structures were grown. • DC and AC conductivity with dielectric properties as a function of frequency (f = 5Hz–13 MHz) at room temperature were measured and compared. • Cr doped ZnO can be used in microwave, sensor and optoelectronic devices as the electrical conductivity increases while dielectric constant decreases with the Cr content. - Abstract: An undoped zinc oxide (ZnO) and different concentrations of chromium (Cr) doped ZnO Cr{sub x}ZnO{sub 1−x} (x = 3.74, 5.67, 8.10, 11.88, and 15.96) thin films were prepared using a magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature. These films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), High resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). XRD patterns of all the films showed that the films possess crystalline structure with preferred orientation along the (100) crystal plane. The average crystallite size obtained was found to be between 95 and 83 nm which was beneficial in high intensity recording peak. Both crystal quality and crystallite sizes decrease with increasing Cr concentration. The crystal and grain sizes of the all film were investigated using SEM analysis. The surface morphology that is grain size changes with increase Cr concentration and small grains coalesce together to form larger grains for the Cr{sub 11.88}ZnO and Cr{sub 15.96}ZnO samples. Impedance spectroscopy studies were carried out in the frequencies ranging from 5 Hz to 13 MHz at room temperature. The undoped ZnO film had the highest dielectric value, while dielectric values of other films decreased as doping concentrations increased. Besides, the dielectric constants decreased whereas the loss tangents increased with increasing Cr content. This was considered to be related to the reduction of grain size as Cr content in ZnO

Structural, optical, and LED characteristics of ZnO and Al doped ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Sandeep, K. M.; Bhat, Shreesha; Dharmaprakash, S. M.

2017-05-01

ZnO (pristine) and Al doped ZnO (AZO) films were prepared using sol-gel spin coating method. The XRD analysis showed the enhanced compressive stress in AZO film. The presence of extended states below the conduction band edge in AZO accounts for the redshift in optical bandgap. The PL spectra of AZO showed significant blue emission due to the carrier recombination from defect states. The TRPL curves showed the dominant DAP recombination in ZnO film, whereas defect related recombination in Al doped ZnO film. Color parameters viz: the dominant wavelength, color coordinates (x,y), color purity, luminous efficiency and correlated color temperature (CCT) of ZnO and AZO films are calculated using 1931 (CIE) diagram. Further, a strong blue emission with color purity more than 96% is observed in both the films. The enhanced blue emission in AZO significantly increased the luminous efficiency (22.8%) compared to ZnO film (10.8%). The prepared films may be used as blue phosphors in white light generation.

Transparent conductive ZnO layers on polymer substrates: Thin film deposition and application in organic solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dosmailov, M. [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Leonat, L.N. [Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS)/Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Patek, J. [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Roth, D.; Bauer, P. [Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Scharber, M.C.; Sariciftci, N.S. [Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS)/Institute of Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Pedarnig, J.D., E-mail: johannes.pedarnig@jku.at [Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria)

2015-09-30

Aluminum doped ZnO (AZO) and pure ZnO thin films are grown on polymer substrates by pulsed-laser deposition and the optical, electrical, and structural film properties are investigated. Laser fluence, substrate temperature, and oxygen pressure are varied to obtain transparent, conductive, and stoichiometric AZO layers on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that are free of cracks. At low fluence (1 J/cm{sup 2}) and low pressure (10{sup −3} mbar), AZO/PET samples of high optical transmission in the visible range, low electrical sheet resistance, and high figure of merit (FOM) are produced. AZO films on fluorinated ethylene propylene have low FOM. The AZO films on PET substrates are used as electron transport layer in inverted organic solar cell devices employing P3HT:PCBM as photovoltaic polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction. - Highlights: • Aluminum doped and pure ZnO thin films are grown on polyethylene terephthalate. • Growth parameters laser fluence, temperature, and gas pressure are optimized. • AZO films on PET have high optical transmission and electrical conductance (FOM). • Organic solar cells on PET using AZO as electron transport layer are made. • Power conversion efficiency of these OSC devices is measured.

Titanyl phthalocyanine ambipolar thin film transistors making use of carbon nanotube electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Coppedè, Nicola; Valitova, Irina; Mahvash, Farzaneh; Tarabella, Giuseppe; Ranzieri, Paolo; Iannotta, Salvatore; Santato, Clara; Martel, Richard; Cicoira, Fabio

2014-12-01

The capability of efficiently injecting charge carriers into organic films and finely tuning their morphology and structure is crucial to improve the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). In this work, we investigate OTFTs employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the source-drain electrodes and, as the organic semiconductor, thin films of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SuMBD). While CNT electrodes have shown an unprecedented ability to improve charge injection in OTFTs, SuMBD is an effective technique to tune film morphology and structure. Varying the substrate temperature during deposition, we were able to grow both amorphous (low substrate temperature) and polycrystalline (high substrate temperature) films of TiOPc. Regardless of the film morphology and structure, CNT electrodes led to superior charge injection and transport performance with respect to benchmark Au electrodes. Vacuum annealing of polycrystalline TiOPc films with CNT electrodes yielded ambipolar OTFTs.

Amorphous Zinc Oxide Integrated Wavy Channel Thin Film Transistor Based High Performance Digital Circuits

KAUST Repository

Hanna, Amir; Hussain, Aftab M.; Omran, Hesham; Alshareef, Sarah; Salama, Khaled N.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2015-01-01

High performance thin film transistor (TFT) can be a great driving force for display, sensor/actuator, integrated electronics, and distributed computation for Internet of Everything applications. While semiconducting oxides like zinc oxide (Zn

Indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin film transistors with a hybrid-channel structure for defect suppression and mobility improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Huang-Kai; Su, Liang-Yu; Hung, Chia-Chin; Huang, JianJang

2013-01-01

In this work, we explore an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin film transistor structure with a vacuum annealed IGZO thin film inserted between the dielectric and typical channel layers. The device demonstrates a better subthreshold swing and field-effect mobility due to the suppression of defects in the channel and the channel/dielectric interface. The hybrid channel structure also exhibits the flexibility of adjusting the threshold voltage. The superior carrier mobility was then verified from the transient response of the inverter circuit constructed by the devices. - Highlights: • Additional in-situ annealed In–Ga–ZnO film was inserted in thin film transistor (TFT). • Traps are suppressed and field effect mobility is improved in the TFT. • An inverter with the device structure has a better transient response

Indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin film transistors with a hybrid-channel structure for defect suppression and mobility improvement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Huang-Kai; Su, Liang-Yu; Hung, Chia-Chin [Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Huang, JianJang, E-mail: jjhuang@cc.ee.ntu.edu.tw [Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2013-07-01

In this work, we explore an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin film transistor structure with a vacuum annealed IGZO thin film inserted between the dielectric and typical channel layers. The device demonstrates a better subthreshold swing and field-effect mobility due to the suppression of defects in the channel and the channel/dielectric interface. The hybrid channel structure also exhibits the flexibility of adjusting the threshold voltage. The superior carrier mobility was then verified from the transient response of the inverter circuit constructed by the devices. - Highlights: • Additional in-situ annealed In–Ga–ZnO film was inserted in thin film transistor (TFT). • Traps are suppressed and field effect mobility is improved in the TFT. • An inverter with the device structure has a better transient response.

Carbon nanotube network thin-film transistors on flexible/stretchable substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Takei, Kuniharu; Takahashi, Toshitake; Javey, Ali

2016-03-29

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for flexible thin-film transistors. In one aspect, a device includes a polymer substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate, a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

Direct-current substrate bias effects on amorphous silicon sputter-deposited films for thin film transistor fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jun, Seung-Ik; Rack, Philip D.; McKnight, Timothy E.; Melechko, Anatoli V.; Simpson, Michael L.

2005-01-01

The effect that direct current (dc) substrate bias has on radio frequency-sputter-deposited amorphous silicon (a-Si) films has been investigated. The substrate bias produces a denser a-Si film with fewer defects compared to unbiased films. The reduced number of defects results in a higher resistivity because defect-mediated conduction paths are reduced. Thin film transistors (TFTs) that were completely sputter deposited were fabricated and characterized. The TFT with the biased a-Si film showed lower leakage (off-state) current, higher on/off current ratio, and higher transconductance (field effect mobility) than the TFT with the unbiased a-Si film

Roughness-based monitoring of transparency and conductivity in boron-doped ZnO thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaikwad, Rajendra S.; Bhande, Sambhaji S.; Mane, Rajaram S.; Pawar, Bhagwat N.; Gaikwad, Sanjay L.; Han, Sung-Hwan; Joo, Oh-Shim

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► We report surface roughness dependent transparency and conductivity in ZnO films. ► The surface roughness with respected to boron doping concentrations is studied. ► Boron doped and pristine Zinc oxide thin films have showed ≥95% transmittance. ► Increased carrier concentration of 9.21 × 10 21 cm −3 revealed from Hall measurement. -- Abstract: Sprayed polycrystalline ZnO and boron-doped ZnO thin films composed of spherical grains of 25–32 nm in diameters are used in roughness measurement and further correlated with the transparency and the conductivity characteristics. The surface roughness is increased up to Zn 0.98 B 0.02 O and then declined at higher boron concentrations. The sprayed ZnO films revealed ≥95% transmittance in the visible wavelength range, 1.956 × 10 −4 Ω cm electrical resistivity, 46 cm 2 /V s Hall mobility and 9.21 × 10 21 cm −3 charge carrier concentration. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study has confirmed 0.15 eV binding energy change for Zn 2p 3/2 when 2 at% boron content is mixed without altering electro-optical properties substantially. Finally, using soft modeling importance of these textured ZnO over non-textured films for enhancing the solar cells performance is explored.

High-dose V+ implantation in ZnO thin film structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vyatkin, A.F.; Zinenko, V.I.; Agaphonov, Yu.A.; Pustovit, A.N.; Roshchupkin, D.V.; Reuss, F.; Kirchner, C.; Kling, R.; Waag, A.

2005-01-01

In the last two decades, diluted magnetic semiconductors have attracted great attention as promising materials for spintronics applications. [K. Sato, H. Katyama-Yoshida, Jpn. J. Phys., Part 2 39 (2000) L555] theoretically predicted that ZnO doped with V, Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni can be ferromagnetic. This has been recently confirmed experimentally for vanadium doped ZnO films which were grown on sapphire substrates, using laser deposition technique [H. Saeki, H.N. Tabata, T. Kawai, Solid State Commun. 120 (2001) 439]. In the present work, high-dose vanadium implantation was used to produce Zn 1-x V x O (x ∼ 0.10) thin film structures (250 nm thick) that had been epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates. Implantation with the dose 2 x 10 16 cm -2 was performed to reach a maximum vanadium concentration of 10 at%. To avoid ZnO film amorphization due to radiation damage accumulation [S.O. Kucheyev, J.S. Williams, C. Jagadish, J. Zou, C. Evans, A.J. Nelson, A.V. Hamza, Phys. Rev. B 67 (2003) 094115], all implants were done at elevated temperatures 300 and 400 deg. C and ion current density 10 μA/cm 2 . X-ray diffraction, SIMS and photoluminescence techniques were exploited to study the implanted samples. No luminescence was observed in the implanted samples after implantation procedures. However, annealing at 800 deg. C for 30 min gave rise to ZnO crystal structure improvement. This implies that healing of implantation induced defects is possible even after heavy-ion bombardment. As a result, the photoluminescence peak at 3.359 eV related to the donorbound exiton was detected

The preparation of ZnO based gas-sensing thin films by ink-jet printing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Wenfeng; Zhao Yan; Zhang Caibei

2005-01-01

An ink-jet printing technique was applied to prepare ZnO based gas-sensing thin films. ZnO inks with appropriate viscosity and surface tension were prepared by sol-gel techniques, and printed onto substrates using a commercial printer. After the drying and heating treatment processes, continuous ZnO films were formed and studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and by a home-made gas sensitivity measuring system. It was found that the morphology and electrical properties of the films changed significantly with the thickness of the films, which can be adjusted simply by printing on the film with increasing frequency. Highest resistance and sensitivity to acetone vapor were obtained when the film was prepared by printing only once on it. Different dopants with certain concentrations could be added into the films by printing with different dopant inks and printing frequency. All Pd, Ag, and ZrO 2 dopants increased both the resistivity and the sensitivity of the films (180 ppm acetone). This work showed that the ink-jet printing technique was a convenient and low cost method to prepare films with controlled film thickness and dopant concentration

Probing magnetism and electronic structure of Fe-doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Amiri, A.; Moubah, R.; Lmai, F.; Abid, M.; Hassanain, N.; Hlil, E.K.; Lassri, H.

2016-01-01

Ab-initio calculations using Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker method combined with the coherent potential approximation were performed in order to study the magnetic properties of Fe-doped ZnO thin films with different Fe contents. The extracted parameters are compared with those determined experimentally. Based on total and partial densities of state curves, we demonstrate that there is a competition between p–d exchange and superexchange mechanisms leading to weak ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic contributions, respectively. The dominant mechanism is found to be antiferromagnetic. However, with increasing Fe content the ferromagnetic contribution increases. In addition, the effect of structural defects on the magnetism of the system is reported. It is shown that both Zn and O vacancies increase ferromagnetism, which is more pronounced in case of Zn. - Highlights: • The KKR–CPA approach was used to study the magnetism of Fe-doped ZnO thin films. • There is a competition between p–d exchange and superexchange mechanisms leading to weak ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic contributions. • Zn vacancies are more significant than the O ones for obtaining ferromagnetism.

Probing magnetism and electronic structure of Fe-doped ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Amiri, A., E-mail: aelamiri@casablanca.ma [LPFA, Faculté des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, BP 5366 Mâarif, Casablanca (Morocco); Moubah, R., E-mail: reda.moubah@hotmail.fr [LPMMAT, Faculté des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, BP 5366 Mâarif, Casablanca (Morocco); Lmai, F. [LPTA, Faculté des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, BP 5366 Mâarif, Casablanca (Morocco); Abid, M. [LPFA, Faculté des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, BP 5366 Mâarif, Casablanca (Morocco); Hassanain, N. [Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, Faculté des Sciences, BP 1014 Rabat (Morocco); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble (France); Lassri, H. [LPMMAT, Faculté des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, BP 5366 Mâarif, Casablanca (Morocco)

2016-01-15

Ab-initio calculations using Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker method combined with the coherent potential approximation were performed in order to study the magnetic properties of Fe-doped ZnO thin films with different Fe contents. The extracted parameters are compared with those determined experimentally. Based on total and partial densities of state curves, we demonstrate that there is a competition between p–d exchange and superexchange mechanisms leading to weak ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic contributions, respectively. The dominant mechanism is found to be antiferromagnetic. However, with increasing Fe content the ferromagnetic contribution increases. In addition, the effect of structural defects on the magnetism of the system is reported. It is shown that both Zn and O vacancies increase ferromagnetism, which is more pronounced in case of Zn. - Highlights: • The KKR–CPA approach was used to study the magnetism of Fe-doped ZnO thin films. • There is a competition between p–d exchange and superexchange mechanisms leading to weak ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic contributions. • Zn vacancies are more significant than the O ones for obtaining ferromagnetism.

Experimental and numerical investigation of contact-area-limited doping for top-contact pentacene thin-film transistors with Schottky contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Kei; Wada, Yasuo; Toyabe, Toru

2015-10-28

Effects of contact-area-limited doping for pentacene thin-film transistors with a bottom-gate, top-contact configuration were investigated. The increase in the drain current and the effective field-effect mobility was achieved by preparing hole-doped layers underneath the gold contact electrodes by coevaporation of pentacene and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), confirmed by using a thin-film organic transistor advanced simulator (TOTAS) incorporating Schottky contact with a thermionic field emission (TFE) model. Although the simulated electrical characteristics fit the experimental results well only in the linear regime of the transistor operation, the barrier height for hole injection and the gate-voltage-dependent hole mobility in the pentacene transistors were evaluated with the aid of the device simulation. This experimental data analysis with the simulation indicates that the highly-doped semiconducting layers prepared in the contact regions can enhance the charge carrier injection into the active semiconductor layer and concurrent trap filling in the transistor channel, caused by the mitigation of a Schottky energy barrier. This study suggests that both the contact-area-limited doping and the device simulation dealing with Schottky contact are indispensable in designing and developing high-performance organic thin-film transistors.

The role of Al, Ba, and Cd dopant elements in tailoring the properties of c-axis oriented ZnO thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, Dilawar [Department of Physics GC University, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Center for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University Lahore, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Butt, M.Z., E-mail: mzakriabutt@gmail.com [Center for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University Lahore, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Arif, Bilal [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Firat University, 23169 Elazig (Turkey); Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Yakuphanoglu, Fahrettin [Department of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Firat University, 23169 Elazig (Turkey); Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)