Spatial profile of Al-ZnO thin film on polycarbonate deposited by ring-shaped magnetized rf plasma sputtering with two facing cylindrical Al2O3 – ZnO targets

Abstract

Radial profiles of the ion saturation current are measured in a ring-shaped magnetized radio-frequency plasma sputtering process with two facing cylindrical ZnO targets including Al2O3 (2% wt.). The profile has a non-uniform shape with a peak whose position corresponds to the target near the electrode due to the effect of the magnetic field distribution. It becomes uniform at large distances between the substrate and a target (d st ≥ 50 mm). The radial profile of the resistivity of the Al-ZnO (AZO) films deposited on a polycarbonate plate at Ar gas pressure of 0.27 Pa is uniform at about 10−3 Ω · cm for d st ≥ 50 mm. The films deposited at various positions and room-substrate-temperature also show a good crystallinity based on an X-ray diffraction peak of about 33.95–34.44°. The grains exhibit a preferential orientation along the [002] axis with its size ranging from 18.15 to 28.17 nm. A higher transmittance of 95.6% in the visible region is also obtained.