Hydrogen plasma treatment for improved conductivity in amorphous aluminum doped zinc tin oxide thin films
Source abstract
Abstract
Improving the conductivity of earth-abundant transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) remains an important challenge that will facilitate the replacement of indium-based TCOs. Here, we show that a hydrogen (H2)-plasma post-deposition treatment improves the conductivity of amorphous aluminum-doped zinc tin oxide while retaining its low optical absorption. We found that the H2-plasma treatment performed at a substrate temperature of 50 °C reduces the resistivity of the films by 57% and increases the absorptance by only 2%. Additionally, the low substrate temperature delays the known formation of tin particles with the plasma and it allows the application of the process to temperature-sensitive substrates.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: ZnO doping and properties · Thin-Film Transistor Technologies · Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Microengineering (IMT) 1 Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory (PVLab), , Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Rue de la Maladière 71b, CH-2002 Neuchatel, Switzerland
Interdisciplinary Centre for Electron Microscopy 2 , Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) SA 3 , Rue Jaquet-Droz 1, CH-2002 Neuchatel, Switzerland
Funding
European Union Seven Framework Program
References (29)
Show source-provided references
1. Nature · 2004 · 432 · 48810.1038/nature03090 ↗
2. Appl. Phys. Lett. · 2008 · 93 · 14211110.1063/1.2998612 ↗
3. Appl. Phys. Lett. · 2009 · 95 · 12350510.1063/1.3236694 ↗
4. J. Mater. Chem. C · 2013 · 1 · 669510.1039/c3tc31323a ↗
5. J. Mater. Chem. C · 2013 · 1 · 700910.1039/c3tc30789a ↗
6. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. · 1994 · 33 · L169310.1143/JJAP.33.L1693 ↗
7. Z. Chen, E. Wiedemann, and Q. Liu, “Wet etching of zinc tin oxide thin films,” U.S. patent 0,075,421 A1 (2009).
8. J. Mater. Chem. C · 2013 · 1 · 636410.1039/c3tc30960f ↗
9. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces · 2013 · 5 · 610810.1021/am400943z ↗
10. Phys. Rev. B · 2010 · 82 · 19320110.1103/PhysRevB.82.193201 ↗
11. Phys. Rev. Lett. · 2008 · 101 · 05550210.1103/PhysRevLett.101.055502 ↗
12. Phys. Rev. Lett. · 2000 · 85 · 101210.1103/PhysRevLett.85.1012 ↗
13. J. Appl. Phys. · 2012 · 111 · 06372110.1063/1.3696978 ↗
14. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. · 2010 · 49 · 12110110.1143/JJAP.49.121101 ↗
15. Phys. Rev. B · 2012 · 86 · 16521010.1103/PhysRevB.86.165210 ↗
16. J. Alloys Compd. · 2014 · 583 · 53510.1016/j.jallcom.2013.09.008 ↗
17. Surf. Coat. Technol. · 2012 · 206 · 506710.1016/j.surfcoat.2012.06.017 ↗
18. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. · 2013 · 46 · 12510310.1088/0022-3727/46/12/125103 ↗
19. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. · 2011 · 44 · 18520310.1088/0022-3727/44/18/185203 ↗
20. See supplementary material at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4896051 for details on the effects of the surface metal particles on the optical properties of the film.
21. J. Appl. Phys. · 2014 · 115 · 05350410.1063/1.4863211 ↗
22. Nano Lett. · 2010 · 10 · 93110.1021/nl100044k ↗
23. ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. · 2013 · 2 · 510.1149/2.011301jss ↗
24. Phys. Rev. B · 2011 · 84 · 03521310.1103/PhysRevB.84.035213 ↗
25. Phys. Rev. Lett. · 2009 · 103 · 24550110.1103/PhysRevLett.103.245501 ↗
26. J. Phys. Chem. C · 2013 · 117 · 415810.1021/jp312532u ↗
27. J. Appl. Phys. · 2014 · 115 · 03351210.1063/1.4861378 ↗
28. Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2013 · 23 · 517710.1002/adfm.201203541 ↗
29. 1971