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Preparation and characterization of ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive films

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Abstract

ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive thin films were prepared by RF sputtering deposition of ZnO target and DC sputtering deposition of Cu target on n-type (001) Si and glass substrates at room temperature. The morphology, structure, optical, and electrical properties of the multilayer films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV/Vis spectrophotometer, and Hall effect measurement system. The influence of Cu layer thickness and the oxygen pressure in sputtering atmosphere on the film properties were studied. ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive film fabricated in pure Ar atmosphere with 10 nm Cu layer thickness has the best performance: resistivity of 2.3 × 10−4 Ω·cm, carrier concentration of 6.44 × 1016 cm−2, mobility of 4.51 cm2·(V·s)−1, and acceptable average transmittance of 80 % in the visible range. The transmittance and conductivity of the films fabricated with oxygen are lower than those of the films fabricated without oxygen, which indicates that oxygen atmosphere does not improve the optical and electrical properties of ZnO/Cu/ZnO films.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 21071098), the Project of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2011DFA50530), and the Nanotechnology Program of Shanghai Science & Technology Committee (No. 12nm0504800).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Wen-Ying Li, Zhen Yu & Dan-Nong He

  2. National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology, Shanghai, 200241, China

    Lai-Xin Jiang, Gui-Lin Yin, Yuan-Yuan Wang & Dan-Nong He

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  1. Wen-Ying Li
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  2. Lai-Xin Jiang
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  3. Gui-Lin Yin
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Correspondence to Dan-Nong He.

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Li, WY., Jiang, LX., Yin, GL. et al. Preparation and characterization of ZnO/Cu/ZnO transparent conductive films. Rare Met. 32, 273–277 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-013-0076-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-013-0076-3

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