Evaluation of optimal chlorine doping concentration in zinc oxide on glass for application as new transparent conductive oxide

Abstract

ZnO:Cl thin films grown on glass substrates at 200 °C by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique using ZnO:Cl targets show preferential c-axis (0002) orientation having hexagonal wurtzite structure without secondary phases. The chlorine concentration in the ZnO:Cl thin films is varied from 1.04 to 7.28 at%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies indicate existence of ZnO and ZnCl bonding. Hall effect measurements and UV–Visible absorption spectra show lowest resistivity of 6.12 × 10−4 Ω cm and average transmittance of 92% in the visible range for the 4.16 at% chlorine-doped ZnO thin film. Possible application of the material as a new transparent conductive zinc oxide is very much imminent in optoelectronic devices.