Characterisation of DC reactive magnetron sputtered ZnO films prepared at different oxygen pressures

Transparent conductive ZnO films have been prepared at different oxygen pre ssures in the range 1 x 10(-4) to 6 x 10(-3) mbar on glass substrates held at a fixed temperature of 663 K by reactively sputtering metallic zinc targ et in a de magnetron sputtering system. The deposited films were characteri sed (at 303 K) to study the influence of oxygen pressure on their structure , electrical and optical properties. Films with a low electrical resistivit y of 6.9 x 10(-2) Omega cm, high optical transmittance of 83% and an optica l band gap of 3.28 eV have been obtained at an oxygen pressure of 1 x 10(-3 ) mbar.