Abstract
AZO thin films (around 200 nm thick) were grown on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) at room temperature. The plasma was activated using a 13.56 MHz (RF) or a 15 kHz pulsed (PMS) source at a power of 60 W. Optical reflection and transmittance were measured using a UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer over the wavelengths from 190 nm to 2500 nm. All samples show average transmittances greater than 83% in the visible region. The electrical resistivity was measured by the linear four-point probe method to be around 0.001 Ωcm for 200 nm-thick AZO films grown by PMS. XRD results indicated that the films had a hexagonal wurtzite structure and were preferentially oriented in the (002) plane. The surface morphology of the AZO thin films was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); film chemical composition was studied using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). For this, an EDS coupled to the Scanning Electron Microscope was used. Only for films grown by PMS were no cracks observed.
Highlights
Films of Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) have been used, amongst others, as transparent electrodes, in photovoltaic cells, light-emitting films, and intelligent windows[1,2,3,4]
The decrease in resistivity obtained using a PMS power supply is caused by the absence of cracks and to the high concentration of carbon compared to that of films deposited using RF
Our result shows an advance in comparison with those presented by Tsay and Pai[34] who found a resistivity of 3.7 x 10-2 Ωcm using a deposition temperature of 135°C
Summary
Films of Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) have been used, amongst others, as transparent electrodes, in photovoltaic cells, light-emitting films, and intelligent windows[1,2,3,4]. The synthesis of TCO films on polymeric substrates requires process parameters that do not degrade the substrate, allow good adhesion, generate little film/substrate stress, and yet maintain the desired optical and electrical properties[9,10,11,12,13] In this context, magnetron sputtering, in addition to excellent reproducibility and low production cost in large scale, allows the synthesis of thin films while maintaining the substrate at room temperature[14,15,16]. According to Fortunato et al.[21], cracks cause a reduction in the electrical conductivity of the TCO film For these reasons, the power applied to the plasma and the type of power supply are crucial factors for the successful deposition of AZO on polymeric substrates or organic devices by magnetron sputtering. It could facilitate the production and optimize the cost on an industrial scale by using roll-to-roll manufacturing methods[24]
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