Preparation of p-type SnO thin films and transistors by sputtering with robust Sn/SnO2 mixed target in hydrogen-containing atmosphere

In this work, we have investigated sputtering deposition of p-type SnO using the robust Sn/SnO2 mixed target in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. The effects of the hydrogen-containing sputtering gas on structures, compositions, and electrical properties of deposited SnOX films were studied. While the SnO2/SnO mixed phase was generally obtained by sputtering with the Sn/SnO2 mixed target in the pure Ar atmosphere, rather pure polycrystalline SnO films with single preferential orientation could be readily obtained by introducing an appropriate amount of hydrogen into the sputtering gas and by appropriate post-annealing (e.g., 300 °C). SnO films thus obtained exhibited a p-type Hall mobility of up to ~ 2 cm2 V− 1 s− 1 and p-type SnO thin-film transistors using such SnO films were also demonstrated, showing a field-effect mobility of up to 1.16 cm2 V− 1 s− 1.