Thermal stability of ZnO thin film prepared by RF-magnetron sputtering evaluated by thermal desorption spectroscopy

Thermal stability of sputter deposited ZnO thin films was evaluated by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Desorption of Zn was mainly observed from the films deposited at low O2/Ar gas ratio and low RF power. In contrast, O2 desorption was mainly observed from the films deposited at high O2/Ar gas ratio and high RF power. The amount of desorbed O2 from the film increased with increasing the O2/Ar gas flow ratio and the RF power. Furthermore, the desorption temperature of O2 increased with increasing the RF power during the deposition. Thermal stability of the ZnO films was controlled not only by the O2/Ar gas flow ratio, but also applied RF power to the target.