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Rational concept for fully designing metal-oxynitride films through reactive gas-timing magnetron sputtering: A case study on zinc oxynitride film
Author(s)
Chananonnawathorn, Chanunthorn
Horprathum, Mati
Pornthreeraphat, Supanit
Saekow, Bunpot
Pankiew, Apirak
Bootchanont, Atipong
Songsiriritthigul, Prayoon
Nakajima, Hideki
Kasamechonchung, Panita
Klamchuen, Annop
Date Issued
August 10, 2025
Type
Article
Abstract
Amorphous metal-oxynitride films—particularly zinc oxynitride (ZnON)—are emerging as promising materials for next-generation high-speed switching electronics, due to the absence of a potential barrier above the conduction band, unlike metal-doped ZnO. However, conventional reactive magnetron sputtering often face challenges in precisely controlling in an anion ratio, N/(N + O), because of the different reactivities of nitrogen and oxygen gases. In this work, we present a strategy to precisely control both the crystal structure and N/(N + O) ratio in ZnON films using a reactive gas-timing technique. By adjusting the oxygen gas-timing sequence (tO₂), we selectively induce different crystalline phases, which are closely related to the nitridation and oxidation of the sputtered Zn atom/cluster. This technique facilitates effective N incorporation into ZnO, enabling a broad range of N/(N + O) ratios from 0.048 to 0.964 and optical band gap variations from 1.49 eV to 3.22 eV. At an optimal tO₂, an amorphous phase is formed, attributed to a balanced nitridation and oxidation rate of the sputtered Zn atom/cluster that suppresses crystallization. The resultant amorphous ZnON film exhibits a high carrier mobility of 84.81 cm²/Vs, which is 1.16-fold and 35.89-fold greater than those of the cubic and hexagonal ZnON films, respectively. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of the reactive gas-timing technique as a powerful tool for the rational design of metal-oxynitride films, paving the way for their application in advanced electronic devices.
Citation
Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 1037, 2025