Electrical and optical properties of In2O3-ZnO thin films prepared by sol-gel method

• Published in: Thin solid films 2005-07, Vol.484 (1-2), p.184-187
• Main Authors: LEE, Seung-Yup, PARK, Byung-Ok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Liquid phase epitaxy; deposition from liquid phases (melts, solutions, and surface layers on liquids); Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2005.03.007

Transparent conducting indium zinc oxide (In2O3--ZnO) thin films were fabricated by a sol--gel method. Zinc acetate dihydrate [Zn(CH3COO)2*2H2O] and indium nitrate trihydrate [In(NO3)3*3H2O] were used as starting precursors, and 2--methoxyethanol as a solvent. Monoethanolamine was added as a stabilizer. The starting solution was spin--coated onto a glass substrate. Thin films at several atomic ratios of Zn/(Zn+In) were annealed at 650 deg C. The minimum resistivity (rho~1*5x10(--)(3)Omega cm) and maximum carrier concentration (n~3*0x10(2)(0)cm(--)(3)) were obtained for the film whose atomic ratio was 0*5. The optical transmittance in the visible region was 80--85% irrespective of atomic ratios. After the Zn2In2O5 (a homologous compound ZnkIn2Ok+3 where k=2 and corresponds to the atomic ratio of 0*5) films were post--annealed in a reducing atmosphere, the carrier concentration increased to approximately 4*0x10(2)(0)cm(--)(3)and the optical window was narrower, although the resistivity slightly increased.