Dynamics of a pulsed-electron beam induced plasma: application to the growth of zinc oxide thin films

Abstract

Spatial and temporal distributions of species emitted from ablation of zinc oxide target by a pulsed-electron beam are studied by the complementary use of optical emission spectroscopy and camera fast imaging. We show that the slowest electrons produced by the accelerating tube in the pulsed-electron beam deposition (PED) system interact with the plasma plume and involve a further excitation of the neutrals species. The velocities of atoms and ions are found to be similar to those obtained in the well-known pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) process while the plasma temperature and the electron density are lower. The low absorption of the electron beam by the expanding plasma compared with that experienced in PLD leads to a higher removal of ablated material and consequently to a higher deposition rate ten times greater than in PLD. The PED ZnO films grown at room temperature on silicon substrate are constituted by the stacking of small aggregates without large macroscopic droplets. These results are in agreement with the ICCD images recorded at long time delays from the electron impact which do not evidence bright trails correlated with the propagation of slow and large particles.

Modeling of Plasma Expansion during Pulsed Electron Beam Ablation of Graphite

“…Experimental results have reported electron density values in the range of 10 22 -10 23 m -3 [15][16][17]. This is in accordance with our calculations, whereby the average electron density is ~10 23 m -3 .…”

“…This is in accordance with our calculations, whereby the average electron density is ~10 23 m -3 . It has been found that the average temperature of the plasma varies from 1 eV to 1.25 eV [15,16]. The results based on our calculations indicate that the plasma temperature is ~1 eV, which is in quantitative agreement with the experimental data.…”

“…In order to assess the model, some of the calculated variables from the current model have been compared with experimental data available in the literature for plasma induced during PEBA [15][16][17]. Experimental results have reported electron density values in the range of 10 22 -10 23 m -3 [15][16][17].…”

Influence of growth temperature on electrical, optical, and plasmonic properties of aluminum:zinc oxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

“…1 is (0002) which is observed at 2h $ 34. 6 and is very close to that of the standard ZnO crystal (34.458). The absence of additional peaks in the XRD pattern excludes the possibility of any extra phases and/or large-size precipitates in the AZO films.…”

Optoelectronic properties of Al:ZnO: Critical dosage for an optimal transparent conductive oxide

“…Among all, it has been recently proposed that aluminum-doped zinc oxide ͑AZO͒ films can be the optimal choice as TCO layers in ZnO nanowire-based solar cells. [3][4][5] The optical, electrical, structural, and morphological properties of the TCO films are essential in determining device performances. Yet the remarkable combination of conductivity in an albeit wide-gap ͑i.e., transparent͒ material is not fully understood, along with the effect of dopants on charge transport: these issues contrast with the standard classification between zero-gap conductive and finite-gap optical materials and are still the subject of intense debate.…”