Metal oxide thin film, method for depositing metal oxide thin film and device comprising metal oxide thin film
A metal oxide thin film formed of β-MoO 3 includes at least one doping element of the group Re, Mn, and Ru. Further, there is described a method of producing such a metal oxide thin film via sputtering and a thin film device with a metal oxide thin film of β-MoO 3 that includes at least one doping element selected from the group Re, Mn, and Ru.
1. A metal oxide thin film, comprising a film formed of β-MoO 3 having a monoclinic β-MoO 3 crystal structure and including at least one doping element selected from the group consisting of Re, Mn, and Ru.
2. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , wherein a total doping content of said at least one doping element of the group Re, Mn, and Ru lies in a range from 0 to 10 at %.
3. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 2 , wherein the total doping content of said at least one doping element of the group Re, Mn, and Ru lies in a range from 1 to 3 at %.
4. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one doping element is Re.
5. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , formed to have an electrical resistivity of below 104 Ω·cm.
6. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 5 , formed to have an electrical resistivity of below 103 Ω·cm.
7. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 6 , formed to have an electrical resistivity of below 102 Ω·cm.
8. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , formed to have an internal optical transmittance to light in a visible range of more than 90%.
9. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , formed to have a refractive index of between 1.5 and 2.
10. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , wherein said film has a thickness of between 50 and 250 nm.
11. The metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 , wherein said film has a thickness of between 1 and 15 nm.
12. A method of producing a metal oxide thin film, the method comprising the following steps:
providing a substrate;
providing a molybdenum target and a target comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of Re, Mn, and Ru, or providing a target comprising molybdenum and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Re, Mn, and Ru; and
sputtering the target or targets in an inert gas atmosphere to form a metal oxide thin film having a monoclinic β-MoO 3 crystal structure and including at least one doping element selected from the group consisting of Re, Mn, and Ru.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the inert gas atmosphere comprises up to 40 vol % O 2 .
14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising a step of annealing.
15. A thin film device, comprising at least one metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 .
16. The thin film device according to claim 15 , which further comprises a substrate of glass or polymer.
17. An electrochromic window device or a touch panel device, comprising a metal oxide thin film according to claim 1 .