Study on Structural Properties of Gallium and Titanium Doped Oxide Films Deposited by Magnetron Sputtering

Thin films of transparent conducting gallium and titanium doped zinc oxide (GTZO) were prepared on glass substrates by magnetron sputtering technique using a sintered ceramic target. The microstructural properties of the deposited thin films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrated that the polycrystalline GTZO thin films consist of the hexagonal crystal structures with c-axis as the preferred growth orientation normal to the substrate, and that the working pressure significantly affects the crystal structures of the thin films. The GTZO thin film deposited at the working pressure of 0.4 Pa has the best crystallinity, the largest grain size and the lowest stress.