Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T02:34:44.022Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of solvents and stabilizers on sol–gel deposition of Ga-doped zinc oxide TCO films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2011

Ido Winer ,
Gennady E. Shter ,
Meirav Mann-Lahav  and
Gideon S. Grader
Ido Winer
Affiliation:
Chemical Engineering Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
Gennady E. Shter
Affiliation:
Chemical Engineering Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
Meirav Mann-Lahav
Affiliation:
Chemical Engineering Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
Gideon S. Grader*
Affiliation:
Chemical Engineering Department, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Gallium-doped zinc oxide spin-coated thin films have been prepared by the sol–gel method. The influence of two solvents, isopropanol and 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), and two chelating agents, monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanolamine (DEA), was investigated. X-ray diffraction shows preferential (002) c-axis orientation of the crystallites influenced by the doping content and starting solution composition. Better orientation was obtained with 2-ME as a solvent because of a slower evaporation rate during the spin coating. Better orientation was also obtained using MEA as a stabilizer due to the weaker bonds formed with the Zn2+ ions. Typical film thickness was 550 nm. The transparency of the films was greater than 85% in the entire visible range. A sheet resistance of 68 Ω/□ was obtained for the ZnO film doped with 2 at.% of Ga using 2-ME and MEA as a solvent and stabilizer, respectively. The results show that the denser packing created using a high boiling temperature solvent and a low organic content stabilizer improved the layer’s electrical and optical properties.

Keywords

Sol–gelOxideTransparent conductor
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 10 , 28 May 2011 , pp. 1309 - 1315
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Sutthana, S., Hongsith, N., and Choopun, S.: AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films prepared by DC magnetron sputtering for dye-sensitized solar cell application. Curr. Appl. Phys. 10, 813 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Calnan, S., Upadhyaya, H.M., Thwaites, M.J., and Tiwari, A.N.: Properties of indium tin oxide films deposited using high target utilisation sputtering. Thin Solid Films 515, 6045 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Bhosle, V., Tiwari, A., and Narayan, J.: Metallic conductivity and metal-semiconductor transition in Ga-doped ZnO. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 1 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Fathollahi, V. and Amini, M.M.: Sol-gel preparation of highly oriented gallium-doped zinc oxide thin films. Mater. Lett. 50, 235 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Luna-Arredondo, E.J., Maldonado, A., Asomoza, R., Acosta, D.R., Meléndez-Lira, M.A., and Olvera, M.D.L.L.: Indium-doped ZnO thin films deposited by the sol-gel technique. Thin Solid Films 490, 132 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Kuo, S.-Y., Chen, W.-C., Lai, F.-I., Cheng, C.-P., Kuo, H.-C., Wang, S.-C., and Hsieh, W.-F.: Effects of doping concentration and annealing temperature on properties of highly oriented Al-doped ZnO films. J. Cryst. Growth 287, 78 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Beyer, W., Hüpkes, J., and Stiebig, H.: Transparent conducting oxide films for thin film silicon photovoltaics. Thin Solid Films 516, 147 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Majumder, S.B., Jain, M., Dobal, P.S., and Katiyar, R.S.: Investigations on solution derived aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 103, 16 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Lin, K.-M. and Tsai, P.: Parametric study on preparation and characterization of ZnO:Al films by sol-gel method for solar cells. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 139, 81 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Yim, K., Kim, H.W., and Lee, C.: Effects of annealing on structure, resistivity and transmittance of Ga doped ZnO films. Mater. Sci. Technol. 23, 108 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Huang, Y.-C., Li, Z.-Y., Chen, H.-H., Uen, W.-Y., Lan, S.-M., Liao, S.-M., Huang, Y.-H., Ku, C.-T., Chen, M.-C., Yang, T.-N., and Chiang, C.-C.: Characterizations of gallium-doped ZnO films on glass substrate prepared by atmospheric pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Thin Solid Films 517, 5537 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Gong, L., Ye, Z., Lu, J., Zhu, L., Huang, J., Gu, X., and Zhao, B.: Highly transparent conductive and near-infrared reflective ZnO:Al thin films. Vacuum 84, 947 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Lu, J.J., Tsai, S.Y., Lu, Y.M., Lin, T.C., and Gan, K.J.: Al-doping effect on structural, transport and optical properties of ZnO films by simultaneous RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Solid State Commun. 149, 2177 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Wienke, J. and Booij, A.S.: ZnO:In deposition by spray pyrolysis—Influence of the growth conditions on the electrical and optical properties. Thin Solid Films 516, 4508 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Lin, K. and Chen, Y.-Y.: Improvement of electrical properties of sol–gel derived ZnO:Ga films by infrared heating method. J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol. 51, 215 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Lin, K. Chen, Y.-Y., and Chiu, C.: Effects of growth behaviors on chemical and physical properties of sol–gel derived ZnO: Ga films. J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol. 55, 299 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Kim, Y.-S., Tai, W.-P., and Shu, S.-J.: Effect of preheating temperature on structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films by sol-gel process. Thin Solid Films 491, 153 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Ohya, Y., Saiki, H., Tanaka, T., and Takahashi, Y.: Microstructure of TiO2 and ZnO films fabricated by the sol-gel method. Am. Ceram. Soc. 79, 825 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Mridha, S. and Basak, D.: Aluminium doped ZnO films: Electrical, optical and photoresponse studies. J. Phys. D 40, 6902 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Xue, S.W., Zu, X.T., Zheng, W.G., Chen, M.Y., and Xiang, X.: Effects of annealing and dopant concentration on the optical characteristics of ZnO:Al thin films by sol-gel technique. Physica B 382, 201 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Yoon, S.H., Liu, D., Shen, D., Park, M., and Kim, D.-J.: Effect of chelating agents on the preferred orientation of ZnO films by sol-gel process. Mater. Sci. 43, 6177 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Nayak, P.K., Yang, J., Kim, J., Chung, S., Jeong, J., Lee, C., and Hong, Y.: Spin-coated Ga-doped ZnO transparent conducting thin films for organic light-emitting diodes. J. Phys. D 42, 035102 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Burstein, E.: Anomalous optical absorption limit in InSb. Phys. Rev. 93, 632 (1954).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Moss, T.S.: The interpretation of the properties of indium antimonide. Proc. Phys. Soc. B 67, 775 (1954).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Cheong, K.Y., Muti, N., and Ramanan, S.R.: Electrical and optical studies of ZnO:Ga thin films fabricated via the sol-gel technique. Thin Solid Films 410, 142 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar