Influence of Thermal Annealing on Structural and Electrical Properties of Nickel Oxide Thin Films

Nickel oxide (NiO) is a potential p-type transparent conducting oxide material with suitable electrical properties. Nickel oxide thin films were deposited by dc reactive magnetron sputtering technique on unheated glass substrates, and subsequently annealed at 773 K in two different annealing processes. X-ray diffractometer studies revealed that the films exhibited (200) preferred orientation. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to study the effect of annealing temperature on surface morphology and composition of the films. The uniform grains were distributed throughout the substrate after annealed at 773 K. Electrical properties were studied by Hall effect measurements. The low electrical resistivity of 36.9 Ω cm was observed after annealing.