Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of thickness on the structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of Nb plus Ta co-doped TiO2 films deposited by RF sputtering

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Transparent conductive Nb plus Ta co-doped TiO2 films with various thicknesses were deposited on quartz substrates by RF magnetron sputtering with vacuum annealing. The effect of film thickness on structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of the films was investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the post-annealed films are polycrystalline anatase structure, which is further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The average crystal size and surface roughness of the annealed films gradually increase as thickness increases from 50 to 500 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that the substitution of Nb5+ and Ta5+ ions in Ti4+ sites can be significantly promoted by annealing treatment. Meanwhile, Raman spectroscopy results indicate that with the increase of film thickness, the peak position of Eg (1) mode shifts to higher band frequencies, implying the increase of carrier concentration. The average visible transmittance of all these films is in the range of 75–81%. The lowest resistivity of 8.9 × 10−4 Ω cm with carrier concentration of 1.1 × 1021 cm−3 and Hall mobility of 6.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 can be obtained at the film thickness of 500 nm, indicating that the optical and electrical properties of optimized NTTO films can be compared to those of Nb or Ta single-doped anatase TiO2 films. However, co-doping with Nb and Ta provides one possibility to complement the limitations of each dopant.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R.G. Waykar, A.S. Pawbake, R.R. Kulkarni, A.A. Jadhavar, A.M. Funde, V.S. Waman, H.M. Pathan, S.R. Jadkar, J. Mater. Sci.-Mater. El. 27, 1134 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Y. Wang, M. Xu, J. Li, J. Ma, X. Wang, Z. Wei, X. Chu, X. Fang, F. Jin, Surf. Coat. Tech. 330, 255 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. M.V. Castro, L. Rebouta, P. Alpuim, M.F. Cerqueira, M. Benelmekki, C.B. Garcia, E. Alves, N.P. Barradas, E. Xuriguera, C.J. Tavares, Thin Solid Films 550, 404 (2014)

  4. P. Mazzolini, P. Gondoni, V. Russo, D. Chrastina, C.S. Casari, A.L. Bassi, J. Phys. Chem. C 119, 6988 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. A. Hagfeldt, G. Boschloo, L. Sun, L. Kloo, H. Pettersson, Chem. Rev. 110, 6595 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Y. Furubayashi, T. Hitosugi, Y. Yamamoto, K. Inaba, G. Kinoda, Y. Hirose, T. Shimada, T. Hasegawa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 252101 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Z. Tseng, L. Chen, J. Tang, M. Shih, S. Chu, J. Electron. Mater. 46, 1476 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. M.A. Gillispie, M.F.A.M. van Hest, M.S. Dabney, J.D. Perkins, D.S. Ginley, J. Mater. Res. 22, 2832 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. P. Mazzolini, T. Acartuerk, D. Chrastina, U. Starke, C.S. Casari, G. Gregori, A. Li, Bassi, Adv. Electron. Mater. 2, 1500316 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. W. Zhao, W. Wang, X. Feng, L. He, Q. Cao, C. Luan, J. Ma, Ceram. Int. 43, 8391 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. X. Han, G. Shao, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 9581 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. S. Ding, J. Gao, Y. Ding, Acta Chim. Sinica 69, 2959 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  13. S. Seeger, K. Ellmer, M. Weise, D. Gogova, D. Abou-Ras, R. Mientus, Thin Solid Films 605, 44 (2016)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Z. Zhang, C. Bao, S. Ma, L. Zhang, S. Hou, J. Australas. Ceram. Soc. 48, 214 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Y. Sato, Y. Sanno, C. Tasaki, N. Oka, T. Kamiyama, Y. Shigesato, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 28, 851 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. L. Lu, M. Guo, S. Thornley, X. Han, J. Hu, M.J. Thwaites, G. Shao, Sol. Energ. Mat. Sol. C. 149, 310 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A.V. Manole, M. Dobromir, M. Girtan, R. Mallet, G. Rusu, D. Luca, Ceram. Int. 39, 4771 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Sato, H. Akizuki, T. Kamiyama, Y. Shigesato, Thin Solid Films 516, 5758 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. V. Swamy, A. Kuznetsov, L.S. Dubrovinsky, R.A. Caruso, D.G. Shchukin, B.C. Muddle, Phys. Rev. B 71, 18430218 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. P. Mazzolini, V. Russo, C.S. Casari, T. Hitosugi, S. Nakao, T. Hasegawa, A.L. Bassi, J. Phys. Chem. C 120, 18878 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. V.G. Krishnan, A. Purushothaman, P. Elango, J. Mater. Sci.-Mater. El. 28, 11473 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. F. Wang, M.Z. Wu, Y.Y. Wang, Y.M. Yu, X.M. Wu, L.J. Zhuge, Vacuum 89, 127 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. G. Wan, S. Wang, X. Zhang, M. Huang, Y. Zhang, W. Duan, L. Yi, Appl. Surf. Sci. 357, 622 (2015)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. B. Dong, G. Fang, J. Wang, W. Guan, X. Zhao, J. Appl. Phys. 101, 0337133 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  25. K. Zhu, Y. Yang, W. Song, Mater. Lett. 145, 279 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Q. Ma, Z. Ye, H. He, J. Wang, L. Zhu, B. Zhao, Vacuum 82, 9 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. H. Mahdhi, S. Alaya, J.L. Gauffier, K. Djessas, Z. Ben Ayadi, J. Alloy. Compd. 695, 697 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. M.M. Islam, S. Ishizuka, A. Yamada, K. Matsubara, S. Niki, T. Sakurai, K. Akimoto, Appl. Surf. Sci. 257, 4026 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. A. Mahmood, N. Ahmed, Q. Raza, T.M. Khan, M. Mehmood, M.M. Hassan, N. Mahmood, Phys. Scripta 82, 0658016 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  30. A.K. Zak, M.E. Abrishami, W.H. Abd Majid, R. Yousefi, S.M. Hosseini, Ceram. Int. 37, 393 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. P.B. Nair, V.B. Justinvictor, G.P. Daniel, K. Joy, V. Ramakrishnan, P.V. Thomas, Appl. Surf. Sci. 257, 10869 (2011)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. M.A. Lucio-Lopez, A. Maldonado, R. Castanedo-Perez, G. Torres-Delgado, M.D.L.L. Olvera, Sol. Energ. Mat. Sol. C. 90, 2362 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Analytical and Testing Center in Huazhong University of Science and Technology for XRD, SEM, XPS and Raman measurements. The finance support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11374114) is also acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Liu, Ya Dong Qiao & Guang Yang

  2. School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hubei Engineering University, Xueyuan Road, Xiaogan, 432000, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Liu

Authors
  1. Yang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ya Dong Qiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guang Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guang Yang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, Y., Qiao, Y.D. & Yang, G. Effect of thickness on the structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties of Nb plus Ta co-doped TiO2 films deposited by RF sputtering. Appl. Phys. A 124, 530 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-1939-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-1939-0

Search

Navigation