Growth and Properties of Sb-doped ZnMgO Thin Films Deposited Usingrf Magnetron Sputtering

We report on the growth and the properties of Sb-doped ZnMgO thin films deposited using radiofrequency (rf) magnetron sputtering for applications as transparent thin film transistors (TFTs) with p-type channels. The target was prepared with high-purity MgO mixed with ZnO and Sb2O5 as doping agents. Thin films were heat-treated in vacuum, oxygen, and nitrogen atmospheres. The eects of the working gas (Ar/O 2) ratios and the annealing conditions on the structural and the electrical properties were investigated. The atomic ratio of Zn/Mg in the films, and accordingly the films properties, depended on the post-annealing conditions and on the oxygen partial pressure in the working gas during sputtering.