• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.07a
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• pp.165-168
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• 2004

In this study, AZO(ZnO:Al) thin film were prepared by FTS(Facing Target Sputtering) system. The electrical, optical and crystallographic properties of AZO thin film with $O_2$ gas flow ratio have been investigated. The thickness, transmittance, crystal structure and resistivity of AZO thin film were measured by a-step, UV-VIS spectrometer, XRD and four-point probe, respectively. As a result AZO thin film deposited with the transmittance over 80% and the resistivity about $10^{-1}\Omega-cm$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.586-589
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• 2004

In this study, AZO(ZnO:Al) thin film were prepared by FTS(Facing Target Sputtering) system. The electrical, optical properties and crystalline of AZO thin film with thickness have been investigated. The thickness, transmittance, crystalline and electrical properties of AZO thin film were measured by a-step, UV-VIS spectrometer, hall effect measurement system, XRD and four-point probe, respectively. As a result, AZO thin film deposited with the transmittance over 80% and the resistivity about $10^{-4}\;\Omega-cm$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.341-346
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• 2011

In this study, we inserted a Zn buffer layer into a AZO/p-type a-si:H layer interface in order to lower the contact resistance of the interface. For the Zn layer, the deposition was conducted at 5 nm, 7 nm and 10 nm using the rf-magnetron sputtering method. The results were compared to that of the AZO film to discuss the possibility of the Zn layer being used as a transparent conductive oxide thin film for application in the silicon heterojunction solar cell. We used the rf-magnetron sputtering method to fabricate Al 2 wt.% of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) film as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). We analyzed the electro-optical properties of the ZnO as well as the interface properties of the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layer. After inserting a buffer layer into the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layers to enhance the interface properties, we measured the contact resistance of the layers using a CTLM (circular transmission line model) pattern, the depth profile of the layers using AES (auger electron spectroscopy), and the changes in the properties of the AZO thin film through heat treatment. We investigated the effects of the interface properties of the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layer on the characteristics of silicon heterojunction solar cells and the way to improve the interface properties. When depositing AZO thin film on a-Si layer, oxygen atoms are diffused from the AZO thin film towards the a-Si layer. Thus, the characteristics of the solar cells deteriorate due to the created oxide film. While a diffusion of Zn occurs toward the a-Si in the case of AZO used as TCO, the diffusion of In occurs toward a-Si in the case of ITO used as TCO.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.07b
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• pp.1474-1476
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• 2005

ZnO:Al(AZO) has been investigated for the photovoltaic cell or TCO(Transparent Conductive Oxide) of the display, because it has good electrical and optical properties. In this study, the ZnO:Al(AZO) thin film prepared on variation of substrate temperature by FTS(Facing Targets Sputtering) system. In case of TCO, because resistivity and roughness values affect the lighting of the OLED, their factors are very important. Therefore, in this paper, the electrical and optical properties of the AZO thin film were investigated with the deposition conditions and its roughness was investigated on variation of the substrate temperature. In results, AZO thin film deposited with the transmittance over 80% and the resistivity was reduced from $1.36{\times}10^{-3}$ [O-cm] to $4{\times}10^{-4}$ [O-cm] with increasing the substrate temperature from R.T to $200[^{\circ}C]$. Especially, we could obtain the resistivity $4{\times}10^{-4}$ [O-cm] of AZO thin film prepared at working pressure 1[mTorr], input current 0.4[A] and substrate temperature $200[^{\circ}C]$.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2009

We have investigated the effect of the ambient gases on the characteristics of AZO thin films for the OLED (organic light emitting diodes) devices. These AZO thin films are deposited by rf-magnetron sputtering under different ambient gases (Ar, Ar+$O_2$, and Ar+$H_2$) at 300. In order to investigate the influences of the oxygen and hydrogen, the flow rate of oxygen and hydrogen in argon mixing gas has been changed from 0.2sccm to 1sccm and from 0.5sccm to 5sccm, respectively. The AZO thin films were preferred oriented to (002) direction regardless of ambient gases. The electrical resistivity of AZO film increased with increasing flow rate of $O_2$ under Ar+$O_2$ while under Ar+$H_2$ atmosphere the electrical resistivity showed minimum value near 1sccm of $H_2$. All the films showed the average transmittance over 80% in the visible range. The OLED device was fabricated with different AZO substrates made by configuration of AZO/$\acute{a}$-NPD/DPVB/$Alq_3$/LiF/Al to elucidate the performance of AZO substrate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.165-165
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• 2010

AZO:H films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering system with a AZO (2wt% $Al_2O_3$) ceramic target at a temperature of $150^{\circ}C$. The annealing treatments were carried out in hydrogen ambient for 1hr at a temperature of $400^{\circ}C$. The AZO:H films were etched with 1 % HCl. The influence of the properties of AZO:H films deposited in various working pressures is investigated. As a result, the AZO:H film deposited in 4mTorr showed excellent electrical property of $\rho=5.036{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$ and strongly oriented (002) peak. The transmittance in the wavelength of 450nm was above 80%. It can be used as front electrode for increasing efficiency of GaN LED.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.279-284
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• 2010

This study has been carried out to determine the optimal process conditions of $AZO:H_2$ thin films for the maximization of the transmittance of a blue GaN light-emitting diode (LED) with a wavelength of 470 nm. The Al-doped zinc oxide $(AZO):H_2$ thin films were deposited on a sapphire substrate by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system with varying substrate temperatures, working pressures and annealing temperatures temperature, working pressure and annealing imposed on a AZO (2wt% $Al_2O_3$) ceramic target. The effect of these variables was investigated in order to improve the light extraction efficiency of the LED. As a result, the (002)-oriented peak was found in all the $AZO:H_2$ thin films. The lowest resistivity and the best transmittance at a wavelength of 470 nm was found to be $4.774\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;{\Omega}cm$ and 92% at a substrate temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, working pressure of 7 mTorr and annealing temperature of $400^{\circ}C$. The transmittance of the $AZO:H_2$ thin film for the Blue GaN LED was improved by approximately 13% relative to that of a ITO thin film (T = 79%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.172-175
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• 2003

ZnO:Al thin film for application to FBAR's bottom electrode using ZnO piezoelectric thin film were prepared by FTS, in order to improve the crystallographic properties of ZnO thin films because the ZnO:Al thin film and ZnO thin films structure is equal each other. So we prepared the ZnO:Al thin film with oxygen gas flow rate. Thickness and c-axis preferred orientation and electric properties of ZnO:Al bottom electrode were evaluated by $\alpha$-step, XRD and 4-point probe..

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.50.1-50.1
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• 2009

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) play an important role in thin-film solar cells in terms of low cost and performance improvement. Al-doped ZnO (AZO) is a very promising material for thin-film solar cellfabrication because of the wide availability of its constituent raw materials and its low cost. In this study, AZO films were prepared by low pressurechemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) using trimethylaluminum (TMA), diethylzinc(DEZ), and water vapor. In order to improve the absorbance of light, atypical surface texturing method is wet etching of front electrode using chemical solution. Alternatively, LPCVD can create a rough surface during deposition. This "self-texturing" is a very useful technique, which can eliminate additional chemical texturing process. The introduction of a TMA doping source has a strong influence on resistivity and the diffusion of light in a wide wavelength range.The haze factor of AZO up to a value of 43 % at 600 nm was achieved without an additional surface texturing process by simple TMA doping. The use of AZO TCO resulted in energy conversion efficiencies of 7.7 % when it was applied to thep-i-n a-Si:H thin film solar cell, which was comparable to commercially available fluorine doped tin oxide ($SnO_2$:F).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.889-894
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• 2001

2wt% $Al_2O_3-doped$ ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on sapphire (0001) single crystal substrate by parellel type rf magnetron sputtering at 55$0^{\circ}C$. The as-grown AZO thin films was polycrystalline and showed only broad deep defect-level photoluminescence (PL). In order to examine the change of PL property, AZO thin films were annealed in $N_2$ (N-AZO) and $H_2$ (H-AZO) at the temperature of $600^{\circ}C$~$1000^{\circ}C$ through rapid thermal annealing. After annealed at $800^{\circ}C$, N-AZO shows near band edge emission (NBE) with very small deep-level emission, and then N-AZO annealed at $900^{\circ}C$ shows only sharp NBE with 219 meV FWHM. In Comparison with N-AZO, H-AZO exhibits very interesting PL features. After $600^{\circ}C$ annealing, deep defect-level emission was quire quenched and NBE around 382 nm (3.2 eV) was observed, which can be explained by the $H_2$passivation effect. At elevated temperature, two interesting peaks corresponding to violet (406 nm, 3.05 eV) and blue (436 nm, 2.84 eV) emission was firstly observed in AZO thin films. Moreover, peculiar PL peak around 694 nm (1.78 eV) is also firstly observed in all the H-AZO thin films and this is believed good evidence of hydrogenation of AZO. Based on defect-level scheme calculated by using the full potential linear muffin-tin orbital (FP-LMTO), the emission 3.2 eV, 3.05 eV, 3.84 eV and 1.78 eV of H-AZO are substantially deginated as exciton emission, transition from conduction band maximum to $V_{ Zn},$ from $Zn_i$, to valence band maximum $(V_{BM})$ and from $V_{o} to V_BM}$, respectively.