Optical, Electrical and Structural Properties of ITO/IZO and IZO/ITO Multilayer Transparent Conductive Oxide Films Deposited via Radiofrequency Magnetron Sputtering
Source abstract
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the potential of multilayer TCO structures, specifically those made up of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), for crystalline silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ). We used the radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method to deposit various thin-film structures under various deposition temperatures and evaluated their electrical, optical, and morphological properties. The objective was to obtain films with lower sheet resistances and higher transmittances than those of single-layer thin films. Our results show that the ITO/IZO/ITO/IZO/ITO multilayer film structure deposited at 200 °C achieves the best sheet resistance of 18.5 Ohm/sq and a high optical transmittance of over 90% at a 550 nm wavelength. This indicates that multilayer TCO structures have the potential to be more optically and electrically efficient, and that they can improve the performance of optoelectronic devices. Finally, a power conversion efficiency of 17.46% was obtained for a silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell fabricated using an ITO/IZO/ITO/IZO/ITO multilayer film structure deposited at 200 °C as a front TCO. Our study provides valuable insights into the field of TCOs and offers a promising avenue for future research.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: ZnO doping and properties · Thin-Film Transistor Technologies · Silicon and Solar Cell Technologies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Physics, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240 Nigde, Turkey
Nanotechnology Application and Research Center, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240 Nigde, Turkey
References (75)
Show source-provided references
1. Low-Roughness and Easily-Etched Transparent Conducting Oxides with a Stack Structure of ITO and IZO10.1149/2.024311jss ↗
2. IZO/ITO Double-Layered Transparent Conductive Oxide for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3192646 ↗
3. Influence of Post-Annealing Temperature on the Properties Exhibited by ITO, IZO and GZO Thin Films10.1016/j.tsf.2007.03.126 ↗
4. Role of Hydrogen Plasma on Electrical and Optical Properties of ZGO, ITO and IZO Transparent and Conductive Coatings10.1016/j.tsf.2005.12.057 ↗
5. Electrical, Optical, and Structural Properties of ITO Co-Sputtered IZO Films by Dual Target Magnetron Sputtering10.1007/s10832-008-9468-4 ↗
6. Internal Stress of ITO, IZO and GZO Films Deposited by RF and DC Magnetron Sputtering10.1557/PROC-666-F2.4 ↗
7. Preparation of ITO and IZO Thin Films by Using Facing Target Sputtering (FTS) Method10.3938/jkps.55.1996 ↗
8. Low-Temperature High-Mobility Amorphous IZO for Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2450993 ↗
9. MoO x /Ag/MoO x Multilayers as Hole Transport Transparent Conductive Electrodes for N-type Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells10.1002/er.5145 ↗
10. Thickness Dependence of the Structural, Electrical, and Optical Properties of Amorphous Indium Zinc Oxide Thin Films10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.12.062 ↗
11. Influence of Thickness and Annealing Temperature on the Electrical, Optical and Structural Properties of AZO Thin Films10.1016/j.vacuum.2012.02.040 ↗
12. The Effect of Thickness on the Properties of Ti-Doped ZnO Films by Simultaneous r.f. and d.c. Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.surfcoat.2004.03.009 ↗
13. The Influences of Thickness on the Optical and Electrical Properties of Dual-Ion-Beam Sputtering-Deposited Molybdenum-Doped Zinc Oxide Layer10.1155/2011/140697 ↗
14. A Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) Thin Films for Heterojunction Solar Cells: Structural and Optical Properties10.1088/1742-6596/902/1/012024 ↗
15. Influence of Irradiation with Heavy Kr15+ Ions on the Structural, Optical and Strength Properties of BeO Ceramic10.1007/s10854-021-06087-y ↗
16. Peculiarities of the magnetic state in the system La0.70Sr0.30MnO3−γ (0 ≤ γ ≤ 0.25)10.1134/1.1866202 ↗
17. Mechanism of Bubbles Formation and Anomalous Phase Separation in the CoNiP System10.1038/s41598-023-33146-7 ↗
18. Evolution of the Absorption Edge of PET Films Irradiated with Kr Ions after Thermal Annealing and Ageing10.1016/j.optmat.2021.111348 ↗
19. Ferreira, A.A., Silva, F.J.G., Pinto, A.G., and Sousa, V.F.C. (2021). Characterization of Thin Chromium Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Optical Applications. Coatings, 11.10.3390/coatings11020215 ↗
20. Thickness Dependence of FTO Over-Layer on Properties of FTO/FZO Bilayer10.1080/10426914.2013.852223 ↗
21. Yüksek Basınç Saçtırma Yönteminin Yoğunluk Modülasyonlu İTO İnce Filmlerin Optik Özelliklerine Etkisinin İncelenmesi10.35238/sufefd.611212 ↗
22. Investigation Of Structural, Optical, And Electrical Properties Of Ito Films Deposited At Different Plasma Powers: Enhanced Performance And Efficiency In SHJ Solar Cells10.55696/ejset.1297942 ↗
23. Characteristics of IZO/AZO and AZO/IZO Bi-Layer Transparent Conducting Thin Films Prepared by Using PLD10.3938/jkps.60.1662 ↗
24. AZO/ATO Double-Layered Transparent Conducting Electrode: A Thermal Stability Study10.1016/j.tsf.2010.12.103 ↗
25. An Atmospheric Pressure-Based Electrospraying Route to Fabricate the Multi-Applications Bilayer (AZO/ITO) TCO Films10.1039/c3ra43727b ↗
26. Highly Conductive and Transparent Gallium Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films via Chemical Vapor Deposition10.1038/s41598-020-57532-7 ↗
27. Optical and Electronic Properties of Mo:ZnO Thin Films Deposited Using RF Magnetron Sputtering with Different Process Parameters10.1007/s11082-015-0357-1 ↗
28. Influence of SnO2:F/ZnO:Al Bi-Layer as a Front Electrode on the Properties of p-i-n Amorphous Silicon Based Thin Film Solar Cells10.1063/1.4807127 ↗
29. Szafraniak, B., Fuśnik, Ł., Xu, J., Gao, F., Brudnik, A., and Rydosz, A. (2021). Semiconducting Metal Oxides: SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaSrTiO3 in Gas-Sensing Applications: A Review. Coatings, 11.10.3390/coatings11020185 ↗
30. Characterization and Device Application of Indium Doped ZnO Homojunction Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.optmat.2020.109723 ↗
31. Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation on the Electrical and Optical Properties of ITO/Ag/ITO and IZO/Ag/IZO Films10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.220 ↗
32. Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of ITO Thin Films10.1007/s11664-017-5915-9 ↗
33. Influence of Heat Treatment on Structural, Electrical, Impedance and Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline ITO Films Grown on Glass at Room Temperature Prepared by Electron Beam Evaporation10.1016/j.physe.2007.01.003 ↗
34. Optical and Electrical Properties of Transparent Conductive ITO Thin Films Deposited by Sol–Gel Process10.1016/S0040-6090(00)01369-9 ↗
35. Electrical and Optical Properties of Amorphous Indium Zinc Oxide Films10.1016/j.tsf.2005.08.257 ↗
36. Efficiency Improvement of CIGS Solar Cells Using RF Sputtered TCO/Ag/TCO Thin-Film as Prospective Buffer Layer10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.03.298 ↗
37. Optical and Electrical Properties of ITO/Metal/NiO Triple-Layer Grown by PVD Method: An Experimental Study10.1016/j.mssp.2022.106853 ↗
38. Application of Indium Tin Oxide/Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Transparent Conductive Oxide Stack Films in Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells10.1021/acsaem.1c02209 ↗
39. Temperature Dependence of the Electrochromic Properties of Complementary NiO//WO3 Based Devices10.1016/j.solmat.2021.111239 ↗
40. Hybrid Transparent Conductive Electrode Structure for Solar Cell Application10.1016/j.renene.2021.08.061 ↗
41. Integration of Graphene with GZO as TCO Layer and Its Impact on Solar Cell Performance10.1016/j.renene.2021.09.101 ↗
42. Synthesis, Structural Properties and Shielding Efficiency of Glasses Based on TeO2-(1-x)ZnO-XSm2O3
43. Structure and Optoelectronic Properties of Ferroelectric PVA-PZT Nanocomposites10.1016/j.optmat.2022.113402 ↗
44. Fabrication and Opto-Electric Properties of ITO/ZnO Bilayer Films on Polyethersulfone Substrates by Ion Beam-Assisted Evaporation10.1016/j.solmat.2008.10.016 ↗
45. Comparison Study of Transparent RF-Sputtered ITO/AZO and ITO/ZnO Bilayers for near UV-OLED Applications10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.09.080 ↗
46. Room-Temperature Growth and Optoelectronic Properties of GZO/ZnO Bilayer Films on Polycarbonate Substrates by Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.solmat.2010.03.026 ↗
47. Properties of Al-Doped Zinc Oxide and In-Doped Zinc Oxide Bilayer Transparent Conducting Oxides for Solar Cell Applications10.1016/j.matlet.2018.03.097 ↗
48. ZnO-Doped In 2 O 3 Front Transparent Contact Enables >24.0% Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells10.1002/ente.202201310 ↗
49. Indium-Based Transparent Conductive Oxides Developed for Perovskite and Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Solar Cell Applications10.1016/j.surfcoat.2023.129286 ↗
50. Influence of Al2O3/IZO Double-Layer Antireflective Coating on the Front Side of Rear Emitter Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cell10.1016/j.vacuum.2022.110967 ↗
51. Characteristics of Sn and Zn Co-Substituted In2O3 Thin Films Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.cap.2012.05.017 ↗
52. Wafer-Scale Growth of ITO Nanorods by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Deposition10.1149/1.3562943 ↗
53. Characterization and Optimization of ITO Thin Films for Application in Heterojunction Silicon Solar Cells10.1016/j.tsf.2010.03.023 ↗
54. Direct Synthesis of Highly Crystalline Transparent Conducting Oxide Nanoparticles by Low Pressure Spray Pyrolysis10.1016/j.apt.2008.09.002 ↗
55. Effect of Hydrogen Partial Pressure on Optoelectronic Properties of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Method10.1063/1.370834 ↗
56. Studies on the Preferred Orientation Changes and Its Influenced Properties on IT0 Thin Films10.1016/S0042-207X(96)00309-0 ↗
57. Properties of Indium Tin Oxide Films Prepared by Rf Reactive Magnetron Sputtering at Different Substrate Temperature10.1016/S0040-6090(97)00939-5 ↗
58. High Mobility Amorphous/Nanocrystalline Indium Zinc Oxide Deposited at Room Temperature10.1016/j.tsf.2005.07.311 ↗
59. Surface Topography and Structure of Laser-Treated High-Purity Zinc10.1088/2051-672X/3/3/035002 ↗
60. X-Ray Line Broadening from Filed Aluminium and Wolfram10.1016/0001-6160(53)90006-6 ↗
61. Structural, Electrical, and Mechanical Characteristics of Proton Beam Irradiated Al5086 Alloy10.1016/j.physb.2014.09.014 ↗
62. Thermal Annealing-Induced Transformation of Structural, Morphological, Linear, and Nonlinear Optical Parameters of Quaternary As 20 Ag 10 Te 10 Se 60 Thin Films for Optical Applications. ACS Appl
63. Observation of High Nonlinearity in Bi Doped BixIn35-xSe65 Thin Films with Annealing10.1038/s41598-021-01134-4 ↗
64. Surface and Optical Properties of Indium Tin Oxide Layer Deposition by RF Magnetron Sputtering in Argon Atmosphere10.1007/s00339-016-0262-x ↗
65. Surface Characterization and Microstructure of ITO Thin Films at Different Annealing Temperatures10.1016/j.apsusc.2007.05.032 ↗
66. Effects of Post-Annealing on the Structural and Nanomechanical Properties of Ga-Doped ZnO Thin Films Deposited on Glass Substrate by Rf-Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.09.088 ↗
67. Proton Ion Irradiation on As 40 Se 50 Sb 10 Thin Films: Fluence-Dependent Tuning of Linear–Nonlinear Optical Properties for Photonic Applications. ACS Appl
68. Electronic and Optical Properties of Indium Zinc Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Using Nanopowder Target10.1143/JJAP.50.045801 ↗
69. Effect of Annealing Temperature on Optical Band-Gap of Amorphous Indium Zinc Oxide Film10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.08.033 ↗
70. New Figure of Merit for Transparent Conductors10.1063/1.323240 ↗
71. Anomalous Optical Absorption Limit in InSb10.1103/PhysRev.93.632 ↗
72. Electrical, Optical, and Structural Properties of InZnSnO Electrode Films Grown by Unbalanced Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering10.1016/j.tsf.2009.02.138 ↗
73. Enhancement in Power Conversion Efficiency of Silicon Solar Cells with Cobalt Doped ZnO Nanoparticle Thin Film Layers10.1016/j.tsf.2018.05.014 ↗
74. Undoped Tin Dioxide Transparent Electrodes for Efficient and Cost-Effective Indoor Organic Photovoltaics (SnO2 Electrode for Indoor Organic Photovoltaics)10.1038/s41427-021-00310-2 ↗
75. Enhanced Photodetection Performance of Silver-Doped Tin Sulfide Photodetectors for Visible Light Photodetection10.1016/j.sna.2022.114065 ↗