Effect of water treatment on transparent semiconductor InZnSnO thin films

The effects of water exposure on InZnSnO transparent thin films are reported. After the immersion of InZnSnO films under de-ionized water, an enrichment of In (and Sn) and a reduction of Zn are found on the surface, probed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, O 1s core-level XPS spectra show a presence of hydroxyl after the water immersion process, supporting that the adsorption of H2O to InZnSnO surface may induces partial negative charge to surface with either molecular to hydroxyl forms.