DC reactive sputter deposition of ZnO : Al thin film on glass

Common semiconducting metal oxide thin films include ITO (indium-tin oxide) thin films, ATO (aluminum-tin oxide) thin films, and AZO (aluminum-zinc ox ide) thin films. Recently, increasing research interest on the AZO thin fil ms is not only due to the low resistivity, but also the optical characteris tics. AZO thin film exhibits a sharp UV cut-off and a high refractive index in the IR range, and is transparent in the visible light. The objective of this study was then to investigate the electrical and optical properties o f AZO as a function of various growth parameters, including target composit ion, O-2/Ar ratio, and applied power. The crystal structure was found to be insensitive to oxygen partial pressure but affected by the doping of Al. H owever, the values of resistivity depend on both the oxygen partial pressur e and the Al doping level. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.