ZnO thin-film optimization towards the fabrication of high-frequency ultrasound transducers

<p>Zinc oxide is a popular wide bandgap semiconductor material with versatile electrical and optical properties. In its wurtzite crystal form, this semiconductor is piezoelectric, and has material properties that make it an attractive candidate for fabricating high frequency ultrasound transducers. This thesis describes the development of an RF sputtering process for creating zinc oxide films with thicknesses ranging from 3μm to 10μm, aiming for transducer frequencies of 300MHz to 1 GHz. Sputtering parameters are optimized to meet the dual requirements of a c-axis film orientation while maintaining a high deposition rate. These constraints and the dimensional characteristics of the utilized sputtering system, such as the short substrate-to-target distance, introduce high levels of strain in the deposited zinc oxide films. Various anneal procedures are developed to reduce film strain and optimize the resulting microstructure. It is found that annealing temperatures > 600°C eliminate the inherent film strain, but simultaneously result in the dewetting of the bottom metal contact, making this thermal treatment unsuitable for device processing. As an alternative to traditional metal contacts used in ultrasound transducers, the use of highly doped zinc oxide contacts is then investigated. It is shown that aluminium doped zinc oxide contacts provide an improved seed layer for device growth while eliminating the dewetting problems associated with metal contacts at high anneal temperatures. In addition, the use of such transparent conductive oxide contacts can lead to novel ultrasound applications, which benefit from the integration of optical and acoustic imaging in a single lens. A proof of concept all-zinc oxide single element ultrasound transducer structure is finally fabricated, to highlight the potential of an integrated optical-acoustic lens design.</p>