ZnN is a relatively new material, and even though its physical properties are not well studied and there is a controversy concerning its optical band gap, it has been used for the fabrication of p-type ZnO:N films through oxidation at temperatures ≥400^oC and recently as electrode in Li-ion batteries. Oxygen contamination has been considered donor for ZnN leading to higher carrier concentration and larger band gap energy due to Moss-Burstein effect. Intentional oxygen doping can create oxynitride phases (ZnON) but annealing in oxygen environment can covert n-ZnN into p-ZnO:N.

In this investigation, ZnN thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering from ZnN target in plasma consisting of mixture of Ar-N₂ gases on silica and Si substrates. The ZnN films were n-type semiconductors having around 10²⁰cm^-3 carrier concentration, resistivity between 10^-2-10^-3Ωcm and low transmittance. The amount of nitrogen in plasma affected more the optical properties than the electrical properties of the films. Annealing, in N₂ environment, at temperatures below 400^oC improved the electrical properties but above 400^oC the carrier concentration was reduced (10¹⁵cm^-3) and the resistivity increased (10²Ωcm). The transmittance of the films was ~85% in the near UV-VIS region regardless the annealing temperature. X-Ray Diffraction was used for monitoring the phases in the structure of the films. Low temperature photoluminescence (PL) was employed to study the bound exciton states in the range 3.326 to 3.365eV. Films deposited in pure Ar or N₂ and after high temperature annealing, exhibited a sharp emission peak at 3.360eV and another one at 3.306eV. These PL peaks were shifted to higher energies for films deposited in a mixture of Ar-N₂ plasma. Green PL, associated with defect states in the band gap, appeared at around 2.5eV. PL assignments were achieved by monitoring the temperature evolution of the peaks.

(**) Corresponding author: E. Aperathitis

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