Influence of the ZnO:Al dispersion on the performance of ZnO:Al/Ag/ZnO:Al transparent electrodes

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 616; pp. 594 - 600
• Main Authors: Bingel, Astrid, Steglich, Martin, Naujok, Philipp, Müller, Robert, Schulz, Ulrike, Kaiser, Norbert, Tünnermann, Andreas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2016
• Subjects: Al-doped zinc oxide; Inline DC magnetron sputtering; Multilayer; Optical properties; Resistivity; Silver; Transparent conductive oxide; Silver; Al-doped zinc oxide; Multilayer; Optical properties; Resistivity; Transparent conductive oxide; Inline DC magnetron sputtering
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2016.09.032

Highly transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO/Ag/Al-doped ZnO (AZO/Ag/AZO) multilayers were prepared by industrial inline DC magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at room temperature. With optimized film thicknesses of 37nm/10nm/37nm, an optimized low sheet resistance of only 6Ω/sq. and high transmittances of T550=87.4% at 550nm and T400–800=79.9% in the spectral range between 400nm and 800nm were reached. Furthermore, an increase of the AZO/Ag/AZO-performance was achieved when a small amount of oxygen was added to the process gas during the AZO deposition which was found to be because of a beneficial adjustment of the AZO dispersion. In this way, owing to both a decreased extinction coefficient as well as a higher refractive index of the AZO film, the maximum transmittance of the AZO/Ag/AZO three-layer structure is further increased (T550=89.0%) and the bandwidth of the transmittance range is broadened (T400–800=83.3%). With the adaption of the AZO dispersion a very high Figure-of-Merit (Haacke) Φ400–800=26.2mΩ−1 and Φ550=52.9mΩ−1 was achieved by industrial inline DC magnetron sputtering process. •AZO/Ag/AZO transparent electrodes by inline DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature•Study of AZO/Ag/AZO optical and electrical properties in dependence of AZO dispersion•Sheet resistance of 6Ωsq and transmittance of T=89% (at 550nm) were achieved.•Highest Figure-of-Merit Φ550=52.9mΩ−1 outreaching past results by DC sputtering