Abstract
ZnO:Al transparent conductive films were deposited on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique and annealed by rapid thermal annealing system. The influence of annealing time on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of ZnO:Al thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Hall method and optical transmission spectroscopy. As the annealing time increases from 0 to 5 min, the crystallinity is improved, the root main square surface roughness is decreased and the sheet resistance is decreased. The lowest sheet resistance of ZnO:Al thin film is 90 ohm/sq. The reduction of sheet resistance is caused by increasing carrier concentration due to substituent Al ion. All films are transparent up to 80% in the visible wavelength range and the adsorption edge is a blue-shift due to Burstein-Moss effect with increasing annealing time.