ZnO-Based Nanocrystalline Films Obtained in a Single Vacuum Cycle

The microstructure and functional properties of zinc oxide magnetron thin films depend on a number of factors: substrate temperature, mutual arrangement of the target and substrates, composition and pressure of residual and working gases, discharge power characteristics, target depletion rate, layer deposition rate, etc. At present, to study the influence of certain factors on the structure and properties of thin films, the method of successive deposition of a series of films with a stepwise change in one of the controlled parameters is used. At the same time, due to the large number of operating factors, as well as the complex nature of their impact, highlighting the contribution of each individual factor is a difficult and nontrivial task. The effect of the substrate temperature and the “target–substrate” distance on the structure and properties of zinc oxide films has been studied. At the same time, to minimize the influence of other factors with the help of an original system of heating and positioning of substrates, the concept of deposition of layers on substrates of the entire series with a change in only one controlled factor is implemented. This concept of deposition in a single vacuum cycle significantly lowers the requirements for the accuracy of controlling technological parameters of the process, reduces the impact on the final result of random unaccounted for factors, and also accelerates the preparation of the entire series of investigated thin-film samples.