A comparison of transmittance properties between ZnO∶Al films for transparent conductors for solar cells deposited by sputtering of AZO and cosputtering of AZO/ZnO

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films were deposited on sapphire (002) and glass substrates by two different sputtering techniques radio frequency magnetron cosputtering of AZO and ZnO targets and sputtering of an AZO target. The dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) and transmittance properties of the AZO films deposited by cosputtering and sputtering on the AZO/ZnO target power ratio, R and the O2/Ar flow ratio, r were investigated, respectively. Only a deep level emission peak appears in the PL spectra of cosputtered AZO films whereas both UV emission and deep level emission peaks are observed in the PL spectra of sputtered AZO films. The absorption edges in the transmittance spectra of the AZO films shift to the lower wavelength region as R and r increase. Effects of crystallinity, surface roughness, PL on the transmittance of the AZO films were also explained using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and PL analysis results.

AZO薄膜的光学性质研究

采用直流反应磁控溅射法,用Zn(99.99%)掺Al(1.5%)靶制备出高质量的Al掺杂的ZnO(AZO)薄膜,用紫外可见、红外分光光度计等测试手段对沉积的薄膜进行了表征和分析,并对AZO薄膜的折射率和厚度进行了理论分析。薄膜的光谱分析结果表明:薄膜样品的可见光透射率平均值均在80%以上。AZO薄膜在紫外有很强的吸收峰,在红外区域,其反射率可达70%。通过理论计算得出了AZO薄膜样品的厚度为101 nm,与台阶仪测量的结果基本相符。