Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering
The paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence of technological parameters on the microstructure, optical, electrical and nanomechanical properties of zinc oxide coatings prepared using the pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering method. Three sets of ZnOx thin films were deposited...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| author | Michał Mazur Agata Obstarczyk Witold Posadowski Jarosław Domaradzki Szymon Kiełczawa Artur Wiatrowski Damian Wojcieszak Małgorzata Kalisz Marcin Grobelny Jan Szmidt |
| author_facet | Michał Mazur Agata Obstarczyk Witold Posadowski Jarosław Domaradzki Szymon Kiełczawa Artur Wiatrowski Damian Wojcieszak Małgorzata Kalisz Marcin Grobelny Jan Szmidt |
| author_sort | Michał Mazur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence of technological parameters on the microstructure, optical, electrical and nanomechanical properties of zinc oxide coatings prepared using the pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering method. Three sets of ZnOx thin films were deposited in metallic, shallow dielectric and deep dielectric sputtering modes. Structural investigations showed that thin films deposited in the metallic mode were nanocrystalline with mixed hexagonal phases of metallic zinc and zinc oxide with crystallite size of 9.1 and 6.0 nm, respectively. On the contrary, the coatings deposited in both dielectric modes had a nanocrystalline ZnO structure with an average crystallite size smaller than 10 nm. Moreover, coatings deposited in the dielectric modes had an average transmission of 84% in the visible wavelength range, while thin films deposited in the metallic mode were opaque. Measurements of electrical properties revealed that the resistivity of as-deposited thin films was in the range of 10<sup>−</sup><sup>4</sup> Ωcm to 10<sup>8</sup> Ωcm. Coatings deposited in the metallic mode had the lowest hardness of 2.2 GPa and the worst scratch resistance among all sputtered coatings, whereas the best mechanical properties were obtained for the film sputtered in the deep dielectric mode. The obtained hardness of 11.5 GPa is one of the highest reported to date in the literature for undoped ZnO. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:32:12Z |
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| id | doaj.art-316af80ab98e4fccba7faf705542321a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:32:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-316af80ab98e4fccba7faf705542321a2023-11-23T20:52:45ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-09-011519655110.3390/ma15196551Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron SputteringMichał Mazur0Agata Obstarczyk1Witold Posadowski2Jarosław Domaradzki3Szymon Kiełczawa4Artur Wiatrowski5Damian Wojcieszak6Małgorzata Kalisz7Marcin Grobelny8Jan Szmidt9Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, 50-372 Wroclaw, PolandFaculty of Engineering and Economics, Ignacy Mościcki University of Applied Sciences in Ciechanów, Narutowicza 9, 06-400 Ciechanów, PolandFaculty of Technical and Social Sciences, Ignacy Mościcki University of Applied Sciences in Ciechanów, Warszawska 52, 06-500 Mława, PolandInstitute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warsaw, PolandThe paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence of technological parameters on the microstructure, optical, electrical and nanomechanical properties of zinc oxide coatings prepared using the pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering method. Three sets of ZnOx thin films were deposited in metallic, shallow dielectric and deep dielectric sputtering modes. Structural investigations showed that thin films deposited in the metallic mode were nanocrystalline with mixed hexagonal phases of metallic zinc and zinc oxide with crystallite size of 9.1 and 6.0 nm, respectively. On the contrary, the coatings deposited in both dielectric modes had a nanocrystalline ZnO structure with an average crystallite size smaller than 10 nm. Moreover, coatings deposited in the dielectric modes had an average transmission of 84% in the visible wavelength range, while thin films deposited in the metallic mode were opaque. Measurements of electrical properties revealed that the resistivity of as-deposited thin films was in the range of 10<sup>−</sup><sup>4</sup> Ωcm to 10<sup>8</sup> Ωcm. Coatings deposited in the metallic mode had the lowest hardness of 2.2 GPa and the worst scratch resistance among all sputtered coatings, whereas the best mechanical properties were obtained for the film sputtered in the deep dielectric mode. The obtained hardness of 11.5 GPa is one of the highest reported to date in the literature for undoped ZnO.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/19/6551ZnO thin filmpulsed reactive magnetron sputteringhardnessscratch resistanceoptical propertieselectrical properties |
| spellingShingle | Michał Mazur Agata Obstarczyk Witold Posadowski Jarosław Domaradzki Szymon Kiełczawa Artur Wiatrowski Damian Wojcieszak Małgorzata Kalisz Marcin Grobelny Jan Szmidt Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering Materials ZnO thin film pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering hardness scratch resistance optical properties electrical properties |
| title | Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering |
| title_full | Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering |
| title_short | Investigation of the Microstructure, Optical, Electrical and Nanomechanical Properties of ZnOx Thin Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering |
| title_sort | investigation of the microstructure optical electrical and nanomechanical properties of znox thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering |
| topic | ZnO thin film pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering hardness scratch resistance optical properties electrical properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/19/6551 |
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