PREPARATION OF HIGHLY ORIENTED THIN-FILM EXHIBITING TRANSPARENT CONDUCTION BY THE SOL-GEL PROCESS

Highly oriented thin films exhibiting transparent conduction aluminium -doped ZnO (AZO), were prepared by a spin-coating method. The effects of the solvents on the preparation and electrical properties of the th in films were examined. The thin films were formed on quartz glass sub strates by spin-coating into a selected solution and calcining at 700 degrees C for 5 h. The thin films had a resistivity of rho(Omega cm)=1 .5 after heat treatment in an air atmosphere, and 1.5 x 10(-3) Omega c m in a reducing atmosphere, and a transmission of about 85% in the vis ible light region. The differences in the high orientation and the con ductivities were attributed to a chelate formation in the aluminium-do ped ZnO due to the solvent effect.