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Improved conductivity of ZnO thin films by exposure to an atmospheric hydrogen plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2012

A. Illiberi*
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
B. Kniknie
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
J. van Deelen
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
H.L.A.H. Steijvers
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
D. Habets
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
P.J.P.M. Simons
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
A.C. Janssen
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
E.H.A. Beckers
Affiliation:
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), PO Box 6235, 5600 HE Eindhoven, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
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Abstract

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnOx:Al) films have been deposited on a moving glass substrate by a high throughput metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process at atmospheric pressure. Thin (< 250 nm) ZnOx:Al films have a poor crystalline quality, due to a small grain size and the presence of different crystallographic orientations. The crystalline quality improves with increasing film thickness (from 50 nm to 1000 nm), resulting in a lower value of resistivity (from 100 Ohm cm to 1·10-3 Ohm cm, respectively). We have investigated the variation in the films’ conductivity and transparency induced by a post-deposition exposure to a He/H2 atmospheric plasma. The resistivity of thin (< 250 nm) films is found to decreased sharply from 100 Ohm cm to about 4·10-3 Ohm cm by a short (∼ seconds) plasma exposure, while the resistivity of thicker films remains unaffected.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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References

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