Formation of p-type MgZnO by nitrogen doping

Abstract

A wurtzite N-doped MgZnO film with 20at.% Mg (MgZnO:N) was grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on c-plane sapphire using radical NO as oxygen source and nitrogen dopant. The as-grown MgZnO:N film behaves n-type conduction at room temperature, but transforms into p-type conduction after annealed for 1h at 600°C in an O2 flow. The p-type MgZnO:N has a hole concentration of 6.1×1017cm−3 and a mobility of 6.42cm2∕Vs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement indicates that substitution of N for O site is in forms of N atom (N)O and N molecule (N2)O for the as-grown MgZnO:N, but almost only in a form of (N)O for the annealed MgZnO:N. The mechanism of the conduction-type transition induced by annealing is discussed in the present work.