Fabrication of flexible Al-doped ZnO films via sol–gel method

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 162; pp. 199 - 202
• Main Authors: Duan, Libing, Zhao, Xiaoru, Zhang, Yangyang, Shen, Hao, Liu, Ruidi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Adhesion; Al-doped ZnO; Aluminum; Annealing; Electrical resistivity; Flexible; Resistivity; Sol gel process; Sol–gel preparation; Thin films; Transparent and conducting; Wurtzite; Zinc oxide; Thin films; Sol–gel preparation; Flexible; Transparent and conducting; Al-doped ZnO
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2015.10.023

1% Al-doped ZnO transparent and conducting thin films on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates were successfully synthesized by the conventional sol–gel spin coating method. All the films with different number of layers (9, 10 and 11) retained a hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO and showed preferential c-axis orientation. Good adhesion was evidenced by dense microstructure and homogeneously distributed grains of the films on flexible PI substrates. The average transmittances reached 70% for all the films above a cut-off wavelength of ∼500nm originated from PI substrates. Comparing to the resistance of films annealed in air, the electrical conductivity could be enhanced by further vacuum (P∼10−2Pa) post-annealing, and lowest resistivity of 2.52×10−1Ωcm was obtained in the film with 10 layers. •Flexible Al-doped ZnO films were fabricated by conventional sol–gel method.•All the films showed preferential c-axis orientation on flexible PI substrates.•Transmittances reached 70% above a cut-off wavelength of ∼500nm.•Electrical conductivity could be enhanced by further vacuum post-annealing.