Abstract
The effect of post-annealing on the transparent and conductive Al-doped zinc oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique was investigated. The structural characteristics of the as-deposited and annealed films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) while the resistance of films during annealing was measured in situ. It is shown that the as-deposited films were flat and smooth, but with plasma etching morphology on the surface, nevertheless, a decrease in roughness was found after the films were air annealed. A significant grain agglomeration into cluster was observed after hydrogen annealing at 500°C. Optical transmissions reveal a good transmittance within the visible wavelength spectrum region for all of the films. The resistance of the air-annealed films was increased due to a large number of oxygen chemisorbed on surface and grain boundaries as measured by XPS. However, it decreased for the films annealed in hydrogen at a higher temperature. The minimum resistivity obtained was 8.76×10 −4 Ω cm as annealed at 500°C for 1 h in hydrogen atmosphere.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
