Preparation of transparent conducting ZnO : Al films on polymer substratesby r. f. magnetron sputtering

Highly transparent conducting Al-doped ZnO films with good adherence and lo w resistivity have been prepared on polymer substrates by r. f. magnetron s puttering. Mechanically stable polycrystalline conducting ZnO:Al films havi ng a preferred orientation with the (002) planes parallel to the substrates were deposited on polyisocyanate (PI) substrate with resistivities in the range of 4.1 X 10(-3) to 5.110(-4) Omega cm, with carrier densities more th an 2.6 X 10(20) cm(-3) and Hall mobilities between 5.78 and 13.11 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). The average transmittance exceeded 80% for a 440 nm thick film depo sited on polypropylene adipate (PPA) substrate in the visible spectrum. The quality of obtained films depended on substrate temperatures, sputtering p ower, Ar pressures and compositions of used targets during film fabrication . (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.