Fabrication and Characterization of p-Type SnO Thin Film with High c-Axis Preferred Orientation

p-Type tin monoxide (SnO) thin films with high c-axis preferred orientation have been fabricated on quartz substrate via electron-beam evaporation at 280A degrees C. Subsequently, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was performed in N-2 atmosphere at 400A degrees C to 800A degrees C. Their structural, chemical, optical, and electrical properties were investigated by x-ray diffraction analysis, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Hall-effect measurements. The c-axis-oriented films of Sn-rich SnO presented excellent thermal stability up to RTA at 700A degrees C. Both the crystallization and the hole Hall mobility were enhanced with increasing RTA temperature, with Hall mobility of 16 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) being obtained after RTA at 700A degrees C. It was considered that the presence of defects and low scattering from grain boundaries contributed to this high Hall mobility. RTA annealing temperature above 700A degrees C induced chemical reaction between SnO and the quartz substrate, with a change of the film to amorphous state with Sn4+ formation.