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Evidence for structural transition in crystalline tantalum pentoxide films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

2017; Elsevier BV; Volume: 712; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.04.073

1873-4669

Israel Pérez, José Luis Enríquez-Carrejo, Vı́ctor Sosa, F. Gamboa, Rurik Farías, José Trinidad Elizalde Galindo, Carlos Iván Rodríguez Rodríguez,

ZnO doping and properties

We investigate the effect of annealing temperature on the crystalline structure and physical properties of tantalum-pentoxide films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. For this purpose, several tantalum films were deposited and the Ta2O5 crystalline phase was induced by exposing the samples to heat treatments in air in the temperature range from (575–1000)°C. Coating characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and UV-VIS spectroscopy. By X-ray diffraction analysis we found that a hexagonal Ta2O5 phase generates at temperatures above 675°C. As the annealing temperature raises, we observe peak sharpening and new peaks in the corresponding diffraction patterns indicating a possible structural transition from hexagonal to orthorhombic. The microstructure of the films starts with flake-like structures formed on the surface and evolves, as the temperature is further increased, to round grains. We found out that, according to the features exhibited in the corresponding spectra, Raman spectroscopy can be sensitive enough to discriminate between the orthorhombic and hexagonal phases of Ta2O5. Finally, as the films crystallize the magnitude of the optical band gap increases from 2.4 eV to the typical reported value of 3.8 eV.