Effects of growth ambient on electrical properties of Al-N co-doped p-type ZnO films

p-Type zinc oxide thin films with c-axis orientation were prepared in N2O-O2 atmosphere by an Al-N co-doping method using reactive magnetron sputtering. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements indicate that as-grown ZnO films were co-doped with Al and N. Hall effect measurements show a dependence of types of conduction, carrier concentration and mobility of as-grown ZnO films on N2O partial pressure ratios. p-Type ZnO thin films deposited in a N2O partial ratio of 10% show the highest hole concentration of 1.1×1017 cm−3, the lowest resistivity of about 100 Ω cm, and a low mobility of 0.3 cm2 V−1 s−1.