High performances multilayer transparent conductive films with manipulated Ag growth and layer thickness

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2023-03, Vol.34 (9), p.795, Article 795
• Main Authors: Liao, Junchen, Qian, Rui, Wang, Guohao, Chen, Nanping, Xu, Shuixian, Hu, Sumei, Zhu, Weiling, Luo, Guoping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Figure of merit; Glass substrates; Growth models; Light transmittance; Magnetron sputtering; Materials Science; Metals; Morphology; Multilayers; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectricity; Photovoltaic cells; Power; Room temperature; Spectrum analysis; Thickness; Zinc oxides
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-023-10221-3

AZO/Ag(Ti)/AZO, AZO/Ti/Ag/AZO, and GAZO/Ti/Ag/GAZO multilayer transparent conductive films were deposited on the glass substrate by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The effects of different Ti power co-sputtered with Ag and Ti as a seed layer for Ag films on the optical, electronic and structural properties of multilayer films were investigated. In addition, the influences of the oxide layer and Ti/Ag layer thicknesses on the photoelectric properties of multilayer films were further studied. The experimental results show that Ti as a seed layer changes the growth pattern of Ag. AZO/Ti/Ag/AZO and GAZO/Ti/Ag/GAZO films exhibit high photoelectric performance. Multilayer films with 50 nm GAZO and 12 nm Ti/Ag displayer low sheet resistance of 5.88 Ω sq −1 , high average light transmittance in the visible range of 94.38%, and the figure of merit is above 1000 Ω −1 . The GAZO/Ti/Ag/GAZO films show high transmittance and low resistivity, which can be used in various photoelectronic fields.