The properties of reactively sputtered, stoichiometry-controlled and optimum-conductivity transparent zinc/aluminium oxide films as a function of their aluminium content

摘要

Zinc oxide films doped with controlled amounts of aluminium were made with their stoichiometry controlled to give optimum electrical and optical properties. They were deposited by the successive sputtering of a thin metal film followed by its anodization, using the plasma created by an unbalanced magnetron. Two processes were used: transport between stages and changing the function of an unbalanced magnetron with time by pulsing the reactive gas. Medium-frequency (40 kHz) power was used to suppress arcing at the target. These simply controlled processes gave high rate deposition of zinc/aluminium oxide with a resistivity of around 40 mu Omega m(-1) and a film/glass substrate transmittance of around 80%, which were obtained at approx. 2 wt% aluminium in zinc. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. [References: 18]