"Optimization of Optical and Electrical Properties of AZO Layers Prepared by DC Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering"

The demand of low cost and high performance optoelectronic devices leads to the development of more efficient transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin films. 

In recent years, aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) has emerged as one of the most promising substitute materials for the most currently used doped tin oxide (SnO2) due to its optical and electrical properties, high chemical and mechanical stability together with its lower cost. However, work has still to be done to optimize the deposition method and to understand the influence of growth conditions on its microstructure and optoelectronic properties. An exhaustive analysis of the optical and electrical properties of AZO layers deposited using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering (MS) as a function of the process pressure, the deposition rate and the frequency pulse was carried out. The correlation between the process pressure and the optical, electrical and structural properties was performed obtaining high quality TOO layers with visible transmittance higher than 85% and resistivity of 6.8 x 10(-4) Omega cm for process pressure of 3 x 10(-3) mbar. This minimum in resistivity also matches with a maximum deposition rate of 17 nm/min. No influence of the frequency pulse of the process is observed on the optical and electrical properties of the layers.