Improved performance of transparent p-type conductors CuCrO2:Mg delafossite thin films through easy and low cost laser annealing

Abstract

Films deposited on glass substrate by RF sputtering, were heat treated in air by a low power laser spot thanks to conventional photolithography machine, to obtain pure CuCr0.97Mg0.03O2 delafossite with an optical transmittance of 0.58 and a conductivity of 5.8S.cm−1. The Haacke’s figure of merit is improved to reach 2.07 × 10-7Ω−1. Laser annealing by a photolithography machine is thus very interesting for enhancing the p-type transparent conductor properties of such delafossite phases. A local annealing according to selected patterns could also be envisaged, opening up exciting prospects for fast and low cost making the most of these transparent p-type semiconductors.