AVS 49th International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeP

Paper TF-WeP13
High Rate Deposition of ZnO Thin Films by Vacuum Arc Plasma Evaporation

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: S. Ida, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Authors: T. Miyata, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
S. Ida, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
T. Minami, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Correspondent: Click to Email
Present requirements for zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films in various applications call for achieving further preparation cost reductions and higher deposition rates on larger area substrates. Recently, a newly developed vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) method providing high-rate film depositions on large area substrates has attracted much attention. In this paper, we describe the preparation of undoped and impurity-doped ZnO thin films on large area substrates by a VAPE method using oxide fragments as a low-cost source material. For example, the difficulty of preparing FZO thin films by sputtering deposition is well known. However, fluorine-doped ZnO (FZO) thin films suitable for transparent and conductive thin-film applications could be prepared. The film depositions were carried out under the following conditions: substrate, large area glass; substrate temperature, RT to 450@super o@C; oxide fragments, sintered mixture of ZnO and ZnF@sub 2@ powders; pressure, 0.08 to 1 Pa; Ar and O@sub 2@ gas flow rates, 10 to 50 and 0 to 10 ccm; and cathode plasma power, 2.5 to 10 kW. A deposition rate of 150 nm/min and a resistivity on the order of 10@super -4@@ohm@cm as well as a uniform distribution of resistivity and thickness on the substrate surface were obtained for FZO films deposited at a pressure of 0.15 Pa, an Ar gas flow rate of 20 ccm, a cathode plasma power of 4.5 kW and a substrate temperature of 250@super o@C. In film depositions by VAPE, the rate was easily controlled by varying the cathode plasma power. It should be noted that deposition rates from 55 to 375 nm/min were obtained in ZnO films deposited at a deposition pressure of 0.25 Pa with a cathode plasma power that ranged from 2.5 to 10kW.