Transparent conducting ZnO thin films prepared on low temperature substrates by chemical vapour deposition using Zn(C 5H 7O 2) 2

Abstract

Transparent and conducting zinc oxide (ZnO) films have been prepared on glass substrates by atmospheric and low pressure chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using zinc acetylacetonate (Zn(C 5H 7O 2) 2) and various oxygen sources such as air, water (H 2O) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2). A resistivity of (4–6) × 10 −3 Ω cm and an average transmittance above 80% in the visible range were obtained for undoped ZnO thin films prepared at a substrate temperature of 550°C using H 2O or H 2O 2. It was found that H 2O and H 2O 2, which include hydrogen, were better oxygen sources than an oxygen-containing gas such as air. The deposition rate of ZnO films was controlled by the Zn(C 5H 7O 2) 2 temperature. Al-doped ZnO films with a resistivity as low as 4.6 × 10 −3 Ω cm were prepared at a substrate temperature of 350°C by CVD at a low pressure of 60 Torr using aluminium acetylacetonate (Al(C 5H 7O 2) 3) as the dopant source.