Single-crystalline Zn3N2 thin films have been grown on MgO (100) and YSZ (100) substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Depending on growth conditions, the film orientation can be tuned from (100) to (111). For each orientation, x-ray diffraction and reflection high-energy electron diffraction are used to determine the epitaxial relationships and to quantify the structural quality. Using high-temperature x-ray diffraction, the Zn3N2 linear thermal expansion coefficient is measured with an average of (1.5 ± 0.1) × 10−5 K−1 in the range of 300–700 K. The Zn3N2 films are found to be systematically n-type and degenerate, with carrier concentrations of 1019–1021 cm−3 and electron mobilities ranging from 4 to 388 cm2 V−1 s−1. Low-temperature Hall effect measurements show that ionized impurity scattering is the main mechanism limiting the mobility. The large carrier densities lead to measured optical bandgaps in the range of 1.05–1.37 eV due to Moss–Burstein band filling, with an extrapolated value of 0.99 eV for actual bandgap energy.
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14 August 2021
Research Article|
August 11 2021
Epitaxial Zn3N2 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy: Structural, electrical, and optical properties
P. John
;
P. John
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
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M. Al Khalfioui;
M. Al Khalfioui
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
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C. Deparis
;
C. Deparis
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
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A. Welk
;
A. Welk
2
Universität Leipzig, Felix-Bloch-Institut für Festkörperphysik
, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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C. Lichtensteiger
;
C. Lichtensteiger
3
DQMP, University of Geneva
, 24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, Geneva 4 1211, Switzerland
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R. Bachelet
;
R. Bachelet
4
Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (UMR5270/CNRS)
, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69134 Ecully Cedex, France
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G. Saint-Girons
;
G. Saint-Girons
4
Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (UMR5270/CNRS)
, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 avenue Guy de Collongue, F-69134 Ecully Cedex, France
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H. Rotella;
H. Rotella
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
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M. Hugues;
M. Hugues
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
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M. Grundmann
;
M. Grundmann
2
Universität Leipzig, Felix-Bloch-Institut für Festkörperphysik
, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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J. Zúñiga-Pérez
J. Zúñiga-Pérez
a)
1
Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CRHEA
, Rue Bernard Gregory, 06560 Valbonne, France
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: jzp@crhea.cnrs.fr
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: jzp@crhea.cnrs.fr
J. Appl. Phys. 130, 065104 (2021)
Article history
Received:
May 19 2021
Accepted:
July 26 2021
Citation
P. John, M. Al Khalfioui, C. Deparis, A. Welk, C. Lichtensteiger, R. Bachelet, G. Saint-Girons, H. Rotella, M. Hugues, M. Grundmann, J. Zúñiga-Pérez; Epitaxial Zn3N2 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy: Structural, electrical, and optical properties. J. Appl. Phys. 14 August 2021; 130 (6): 065104. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0057307
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