Characterization Analysis of Aluminum and Indium Codoping Zinc Oxide on Flexible Transparent Substrates by RF Magnetron Sputtering Process

Abstract

Aluminum and indium codoping zinc oxide (AIZO) films have been deposited simultaneously on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique at room temperature (from a ceramic target) prepared with a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO), aluminum (Al), and indium oxide (In2O3) of varying RF power range from 50 to 100 W and working pressure range from 2.5 to 15 mTorr. In order to obtain an acceptable performance rate with high-quality conducting thin films, the effect of correlation between the electrical, optical, and microstructural properties was investigated. The electrical resistivity significantly declined, and the carrier concentration improved as a result of In2O3 and Al incorporation within the ZnO and the increasing RF power. In this case, the best optical and electrical results were deposited at the RF power of 100 W with the working pressure of 2.5 mTorr. We were practicable to fabricate AIZO/PET electrodes of the lowest resistivity ( $7.6\times 10^{-3}\,\Omega $ -cm), the highest mobility, carrier concentration ( $8.29\times 10^{3}$ cm2/vs and $9.8\times 10^{20}$ cm−3, respectively), and the maximum transmittance (83%–96%) along an energy bandgap range of 3.3–3.65 eV with a well crystalline structure showing a roughness surface of the AIZO films and a suitable Herzberg–Teller (HT). Thus, according to these expressions, we could be responsible for preparing AIZO/PET with improved electrical property and microstructure of great applications for flexible electronic devices.