High-performance low-temperature transparent conducting aluminum-doped ZnO thin films and applications

• Published in: Journal of crystal growth 2006-01, Vol.287 (1), p.44-47
• Main Authors: Hao, Xiao-Tao, Tan, Li-Wei, Ong, Kian-Soo, Zhu, Furong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: B1. Doped zinc oxide; B1. Hydrogen; B3. OLED; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Defects and impurities: doping, implantation, distribution, concentration, etc; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0022-0248; 1873-5002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2005.10.040

Transparent conducting aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films have been prepared on glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering using a hydrogen–argon gas mixture at room temperature. The effect of hydrogen partial pressure on the optical and electrical properties of AZO films is investigated. The hydrogen partial pressure was varied from 0 to 1.25×10 −3 Pa during film growth. Polycrystalline Al-doped ZnO films having a preferred orientation with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate were obtained with a root mean square roughness of ∼2 nm. At an optimal condition, the AZO films with a resistivity of 5.1×10 −4 Ω cm and an optical transparency of over 83% in the visible wavelength region are achieved. The AZO films with desired properties were used as an anode contact in polymeric electroluminescent devices and the electroluminescence performance of these OLEDs was studied.