Thermal durability of AZO/Ag(Al)/AZO transparent conductive films

Abstract

Effects of Al doping on surface morphology, sheet resistance, optical transmission spectra, and thermal durability of a thin Ag layer and AZO/Ag/AZO dielectric/metal/dielectric (DMD) transparent conductive films (TCFs) were investigated. The 1.7 at. % Al doping suppressed the initial island growth of a thin Ag layer and the plasmon resonant absorption dip in the optical transmission spectra. The threshold thickness of percolation conductivity was reduced from 9–10 (pure Al layer) to 5–6 nm (1.7 at. % Al-doped Ag layer). Al doping in the Ag layer improved the thermal durability of AZO/Ag/AZO-DMD TCFs. The threshold temperature for Ag void formation increased from 400 °C (DMD with pure Ag layer) to 600 °C (DMD with a 10.5 at. % Al-doped Ag layer). The optimum annealing temperature increased from 300 °C (DMD with a pure Ag layer) to 500 °C (DMD with a 10.5 at. % Al-doped Ag layer). Maximum figures of merit (FOM) were 0.5 × 10−2 and 1.1 × 10−2 Ω−1 for the DMD with a pure Ag layer and that with a 10.5 at. % Al-doped Ag layer, respectively.