APS -APS March Meeting 2017 - Event - Optimization of Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide as a Transparent Conducting Oxide

摘要

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films are extensively used in optoelectronics. This study focuses on the optimization of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) as a TCO for photovoltaic applications. AZO thin films were fabricated using RF magnetron sputtering in the argon environment and characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hall measurements and four-point probe. The effects of substrate temperature, deposition pressure, and power on the properties of AZO were studied. Using a deposition pressure of 10 mTorr, deposition temperature of 250 $^{circ}$ C, and 60 W RF power, optical transmittance of up to 90{%} in the visible range was achieved along with a resistivity in the order of 10$^{mathrm{-4}} quad Omega $ cm. The measured properties are among the most optimal reported for AZO thin films.