Effects of discharge power on the structural and optical properties of TGZO thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique

The transparent semiconductors of Ti and Ga-incorporated ZnO (TGZO) thin films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates. The effects of discharge power on the physical properties of thin films are studied. Experimental results show that all nanocrystalline TGZO thin films possess preferential orientation along the (002) plane. The discharge power significantly affects the crystal structure and optical properties of thin films. When the discharge power is 200 W, the TGZO thin film has the optimal crystalline quality and optical properties, with the narrowest full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 1.76×10−3 rad, the largest average grain size of 82.4 nm and the highest average transmittance of 84.3% in the visible range. The optical gaps of thin films are estimated by the Tauc’s relation and observed to increase firstly and then decrease with the increase of the discharge power. In addition, the optical parameters, including refractive index, extinction coefficient, dielectric function and dissipation factor of the thin films, are determined by optical characterization methods. The dispersion behavior of the refractive index is also analyzed using the Sellmeier’s dispersion model.