Title: Effects of post-deposition annealing in argon-oxygen-argon ambient on physical and electrical characteristics of thulium oxide passivation layer on silicon substrate

Authors: Junchen Deng; Hock Jin Quah

Addresses: Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia; Bailie School of Petroleum Engineering, Lanzhou City University, 730070, Lanzhou, China ' Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: The thulium oxide (Tm₂O₃) passivation layer was deposited on silicon substrate via radio frequency magnetron sputtering and then subjected to different post-deposition annealing in argon-oxygen-argon ambient at 500, 600, 700, and 800°C. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction characterisation (GIXRD) has revealed that polycrystalline Tm₂O₃ passivation layers were formed after the post-deposition annealing process. The elemental compositions of the investigated Tm₂O₃ passivation layers were characterized using energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The result showed that the species (oxygen vacancies and oxygen interstitial) and concentration of defects in samples changed with increasing annealing temperature, which caused the Tm₂O₃ lattice to contract and expand as well as an increase in the direct band gap from 3.986 eV to 4.898 eV. Additionally, the thickness derived from the X-ray reflectivity (XRR) fitting result revealed that all of the annealed Tm₂O₃passivation layers were subjected to densification and that the SiO₂ interfacial layer grew in thickness from 0.731 nm to 2.178 nm as the annealing temperature increased. The J-E characteristics of the Tm₂O₃ passivation layers improved as the annealing temperature increased from 500°C to 800°C, with the lowest leakage current density and highest electric breakdown field (3.03 MV/cm) being achieved at 800°C.

Keywords: thulium oxide; metal-oxide-semiconductor; passivation layer; annealing; argon.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2024.141763

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2024 Vol.21 No.4/5, pp.324 - 338

Published online: 01 Oct 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article