Reactive radio frequency sputtering deposition and characterization of zinc nitride and oxynitride thin films

Zinc nitride films were deposited on glass or silicon substrates by reactive magnetron radio frequency sputtering of zinc in either N2–Ar or N2–Ar–O2 ambient. The effects of varying the nitrogen contents and the substrate temperature were investigated. X-ray diffraction data showed that the as-deposited films contain the zinc nitride cubic crystalline phase with a preferred orientation, and Raman scattering measurements revealed ZnN related modes. According to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, the as-deposited films were nitrogen-rich and contained only a small fraction of oxygen. Hall-effect measurements showed that p-type zinc nitride with carrier concentration of ~ 1019 cm−3, mobility of ~ 101 cm2/Vs, resistivity of ~ 10−2 Ω ∗ cm, was obtained. The photon energy dependence of optical transmittance suggested that the material has an indirect bandgap.