Combinatorial studies of Zn-Al-O and Zn-Sn-O transparent conducting oxide thin films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 411; no. 1; pp. 152 - 160
• Main Authors: Perkins, J.D, del Cueto, J.A, Alleman, J.L, Warmsingh, C, Keyes, B.M, Gedvilas, L.M, Parilla, P.A, To, B, Readey, D.W, Ginley, D.S
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 22-05-2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Combinatorial; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; Laser deposition; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; TCO; Thin film; Transparent conducting oxides; TCO; Combinatorial; Transparent conducting oxides; Thin film; Inorganic compounds; Electrical conductivity; Electrical properties; Property composition relationship; Transition element compounds; Crystal growth from vapors; Experimental study; Conducting materials; Nonstoichiometry; Optimization; Thin films; CVD; Tin oxides; Zinc oxides; Optical transmission; Optical properties; Physical vapor deposition; Transparent material; Combinatorial analysis; Aluminium oxides
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(02)00205-5

In this work, we discuss the development of combinatorial deposition and analysis tools for the investigation of and the optimization of transparent conducting oxides. Library deposition by co-sputtering followed by optical analysis is shown to be a facile way to achieve these goals. Initial work focused on Zn-Al-O libraries with low Al contents as a test case. Subsequent work has focused on the ZnO-SnO
2 tie line. Local maxima in the composition dependence of the conductivity were found for Zn/Sn ≈2:1 (Zn
2SnO
4) and Zn/Sn ≈1:1 (ZnSnO
3). For these two representative stoichiometries, constant composition films have also been grown by pulsed laser deposition.