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Defects controlled stress engineering in Al-doped ZnO transparent multilayered thin films

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Abstract

This study explores stress engineering in multilayered structures of Al-doped ZnO thin films by controlling defects in them. Al-doped ZnO thin films are examples of transparent conducting oxides. Owing to their high conductivity and transparency, Al-doped ZnO thin films have various promising applications. However, defects and dislocations in thin films can deteriorate their electrical and optical properties. These defects or dislocations can be formed during the thin-film deposition process. Especially, defects can be formed between the layers during the stacking process of the sol–gel method. Therefore, methods to control defects have been designed and simulated to engineer stress in thin films. In this study, layered Al-doped ZnO thin films with different thicknesses were prepared to investigate the interface effects and electron motion in them.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Chung-Ang University Research Grants in 2020 and supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (No. 20214000000700).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jihye Kang, Jaeyong Yun, Yoo-Young Oh & Jung-Hyuk Koh

  2. Department of Intelligent Energy and Industry, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jung-Hyuk Koh

  3. College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea

    Sung-Jin Kim

  4. Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Masao Kamiko

  5. Department of Electrical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea

    Nam-Hoon Kim

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  1. Jihye Kang
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Kang, J., Yun, J., Oh, YY. et al. Defects controlled stress engineering in Al-doped ZnO transparent multilayered thin films. J. Korean Ceram. Soc. 59, 742–748 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-022-00214-z

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