Transparent conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films prepared by rf magnetron sputtering

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 252; no. 5; pp. 2006 - 2011
• Main Authors: Lv, Maoshui, Xiu, Xianwu, Pang, Zhiyong, Dai, Ying, Han, Shenghao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.12.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Sputtering; Transparent conducting films; Zinc oxide; Zirconium; 78.30.Fs; Zirconium; 73.61.Ga; Transparent conducting films; Zinc oxide; 68.55.Jk; Sputtering; Doped materials; 78.30.Fs Zirconium; Film growth; Magnetrons; Cathode sputtering; Zinc oxides; Zirconium oxides; Transition elements
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2005.02.131

Transparent and conducting zirconium-doped zinc oxide films with high transparency and relatively low resistivity have been successfully prepared by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The lowest resistivity achieved was 2.93 × 10 −3 Ω cm for a thickness of 475 nm with a Hall mobility of 13 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and a carrier concentration of 1.71 × 10 20 cm −3. The films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure and a preferred orientation along the c-axis. All the films present a high transmittance of approximately 90% in the visible range. The optical band gap decreases from 3.42 to 3.27 eV as the thickness increases from 100 to 600 nm.