Abstract
This work investigates the thermal effect on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films. The AZO films deposited at different temperatures were measured using a thermal desorption system to obtain their corresponding thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). In addition to obtaining information of thermal desorption, the measurement of TDS also has the effect of vacuum annealing on the AZO films. The results of measuring TDS imply part of the doped aluminum atoms do not stay at substituted zinc sites in AZO films. The (002) preferential direction of the AZO films in X-ray diffraction spectra shifts to a lower angle after measurement of TDS. The grain size grows and surface becomes denser for all AZO films after measurement of TDS. The carrier concentration, mobility, and average optical transmittance increase while the electrical resistivity decreases for AZO films after measurement of TDS. These results indicate that the AZO films deposited at 200°C are appropriate selections if the AZO films are applied in device fabrication of heat-produced process.
Highlights
Zinc oxide is an old semiconductor material that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century
The thermal instability of aluminum found in this work may attribute that some aluminum atoms in aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) films do not exist in substituted zinc sites
The measurement of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) has the effect of vacuum annealing on the AZO films
Summary
Zinc oxide is an old semiconductor material that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century It has been applied in different areas like piezoelectric transducers, optical waveguides, acoustooptic media, gas sensors, varistors, and transparent conductive (TC) electrode [1]. Since indium is rare and toxic, there is a tendency to replace ITO with aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) for cost and safety concerns. These years, the AZO can compete with ITO due to compatible electrical and optical properties [3, 4]. This work focuses on surveying in-line sputtered instead of batch-type produced AZO films. The properties of AZO films produced by in-line sputtering may be different when being compared with those produced by batch-type sputtering
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