Abstract
The addition of suitable metallic dopants into the indium or zinc oxide matrix is essential to obtain transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films for high-performance optoelectronics devices. However, scarcity of indium is one of the major challenges for the common use of indium doped tin oxide (ITO) as a TCO material for future state-of-the-art devices. To overcome the challenge, doped zinc oxide is used an alternative material for traditional ITO and retains both high transparency and electrical conductivity. One such potential material is gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO). GZO thin films were deposited onto glass as well as Kapton substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Structural, optical, and electro-thermal properties of these films were studied to assess the performance of the films as thin-film transparent heaters. The samples show a good transmittance value greater than 85% in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. At room temperature, the electrical resistivity of GZO films showed a value of 110.46 × 10−4 Ω cm on glass and 2.90 × 10−4 Ω cm on the Kapton substrate, followed by a Joule heating effect, with temperatures reaching more than 120 °C at an applied voltage of ∼12 V. This high transparency, cost-effectiveness, low sheet resistance, and small surface roughness make GZO a unique and potential candidate for various practical applications not only as a transparent electrode but also as an indium free thin-film transparent heater and an affordable transparent conducting oxide in displays.
Highlights
The high conductivity, maximum optical transparency in the visible range, high reflectivity in the infrared light range, and optimum heating effect exhibited by transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials have made them attract great attention as promising materials for various applications in recent years,1–6 including in several optoelectronic devices such as liquid crystal displays,7,8 organic solar cells,9 touch screens,10 organic light-emitting diodes,11,12 smartphone touch screens,13,14 smart windows, and gas sensors
The measured thickness of the gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) film deposited on a glass substrate, at Ts = 350 ○C under vacuum, is 110 and 125 nm, with laser pulses of 20 000 and 30 000 pulses, respectively
To observe the visual transparency with the naked eye, all films are placed on our university logo, and it is found that the deposited GZO films on the glass substrate are highly transparent to visible light and the logo could be seen clearly, as shown in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b)
Summary
The high conductivity, maximum optical transparency in the visible range, high reflectivity in the infrared light range, and optimum heating effect exhibited by transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials have made them attract great attention as promising materials for various applications in recent years, including in several optoelectronic devices such as liquid crystal displays, organic solar cells, touch screens, organic light-emitting diodes, smartphone touch screens, smart windows, and gas sensors. In addition, modern market trends and growing demand encourage the fabrication of efficient consumer electronics that show excellent transparency in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Several materials have been introduced as alternatives to ITO for high-performance optoelectronics applications Examples of such materials include graphene, networks of carbon nanotubes, conducting organic films, metal nanowires, metal mesh, hybrid nanostructures in the form of 2D films, and conductive percolative networks with optimum transparency. Silver nanowires/mesh is considered one of most promising materials for thin-film heaters (TFHs) due to their outstanding electrical conductivity, excellent mechanical stability, and high optical transmittance in the visible spectral range.. Silver nanowires/mesh is considered one of most promising materials for thin-film heaters (TFHs) due to their outstanding electrical conductivity, excellent mechanical stability, and high optical transmittance in the visible spectral range.25 Despite these advantages, silver nanowire-based thin films suffer from poor interconnections between their random networks and intrinsic weakness of high junction resistance.. This property is highly desirable for use in various applications
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