Influence of annealing atmosphere on the structure, morphology and transmittance of N-incorporated Ga2O3 films

N-incorporated Ga2O3 films were deposited on sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Annealing treatments for the as-deposited samples were performed in nitrogen, oxygen and air at 800 degrees C, respectively. The effect of annealing atmosphere on the structure, morphology and transmittance of the as-deposited films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the as-deposited and annealed films exhibited monocline crystal structure with a strong (-402) preferred crystallographic planes. Annealing atmosphere greatly affected the surface morphology and transmittance of N-incorporated Ga2O3 films. Annealing in nitrogen exhibited excellent crystallinity, smooth surface and higher transmittance in visible range. Moreover, the red shift of the band gap was observed after annealing. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.