Influence of the Growth Temperature on the Properties of the Transparent and Conductive NiO Thin Films Obtained by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Transparent and conductive nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited on the glass supports by magnetron pulverization (RF). The NiO thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM equipped with X-ray detector-analyzer (EDX), UV-VIS spectroscopy and Hall measurements. XRD revealed that the NiO thin films obtained at different substrate temperatures are textured and possess a cubic crystalline structure. SEM analysis indicates the formation of the crystallites with a granular structure. The EDX spectra of the NiO thin films highlighted the presence of Ni and O as elementary components. With the increase of the substrate temperature from 50 to 450 °C Hall measurements show a decrease of the resistivity of the NiO thin layers due to the increase of the concentration and mobility of the free carriers.