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Effects of oxidation time on the formation of nanosized cerium oxide film from direct current sputtered cerium

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Abstract

Effects of post-sputter oxidation time (7.5, 15, and 30 min) were investigated onto cerium films that were deposited on n-type Si(100) substrate via direct current (DC) sputtering. Cerium oxide (CeO2) films were successfully grown on the substrates after oxidation in oxygen ambient at 800 °C. The film transformed from Ce2O3-rich to CeO2-prone along with the change of oxidation time. Owing to the presence of Ce2O3-rich in the CeO2 film oxidized at 7.5 min, oxygen vacancies were generated and potentially served as the neutral trap sites for electrons during forward bias operation, which led to the acquisition of improved current density-gate voltage (J-Vg) characteristic. The presence of thicker SiO2 interfacial layer at the interface of CeO2 and Si for sample oxidized at 30 min, as per estimated using X-ray reflectivity analysis, has assisted in enhancing the J-Vg characteristic of the film. Detailed findings relating the structural and electrical properties of the samples were presented in this work.

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Funding

This work is financially supported by the Universiti Sains Malaysia for USM Short Term Grant with Project code: 304/CINOR/6315289.

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  1. Institute of Nano Optoelectronics Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Way Foong Lim & Ainita Rozati Mohd Zabidi

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  1. Way Foong Lim
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Way Foong Lim: conceptualization, methodology, writing, fund acquisition

Ainita Rozati Mohd Zabidi: sample preparation, data collection

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Correspondence to Way Foong Lim.

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Lim, W.F., Zabidi, A.R.M. Effects of oxidation time on the formation of nanosized cerium oxide film from direct current sputtered cerium. emergent mater. 5, 41–49 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-022-00370-2

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