Electrical and Optical Properties of Al-Doped ZnO Transparent Conductive Oxide Films Prepared via Radio Frequency Magnetron Co-Sputtering System

In this study, the optical and electrical properties of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film synthesized via the radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) and ZnO targets on a glass substrate were investigated. In the visible region, the resistivity, transmittance, and carrier concentration of the TCO film are influenced by the ratio of Al doping. The samples were prepared using two targets with the same deposition condition, except several different power levels on an AZO target to obtain different Al compositions in the film. The power range was 100–160 W in 20 W steps on the AZO target with a constant 50 W power level on the ZnO target. The electrical and optical characteristics of the film were measured using several apparatuses. The cross-section of the films was measured with via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to determine the thickness of the film. The electrical and optical properties of the AZO films were measured via Hall measurement and UV-visible spectroscopy. The structural characteristics of the AZO films were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.