The Effect of RF Sputtering Temperature Conditions on the Structural and Physical Properties of Grown SbGaN Thin Film

Abstract

By using a single ceramic SbGaN target containing a 14% Sb dopant, Sb0.14GaN films were successfully grown on n-Si(100), SiO2/Si(100), and quartz substrates by an RF reactive sputtering technology at different growth temperatures, ranging from 100 to 400 °C. As a result, the structural characteristics, and optical and electrical properties of the deposited Sb0.14GaN films were affected by the various substrate temperature conditions. By heating the temperature deposition differently, the sputtered Sb0.14GaN films had a wurtzite crystal structure with a preferential (101¯0) plane, and these Sb0.14GaN films experienced a structural distortion and exhibited p-type layers. At the highest depositing temperature of 400 °C, the Sb0.14GaN film had the smallest bandgap energy of 2.78 eV, and the highest hole concentration of 8.97 × 1016 cm−3, a conductivity of 2.1 Scm−1, and a high electrical mobility of 146 cm2V−1s−1. The p-Sb0.14GaN/n-Si heterojunction diode was tested at different temperatures, ranging from 25 to 150 °C. The testing data showed that the change of testing temperature affected the electrical characteristics of the diode.