• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2022

We investigated the optical and electrical characteristics of ITO/Ag/ITO (IAI) 3-layer thin films prepared by using RF/DC sputtering. To measure the thickness of all thin film samples, we used scanning electron microscopy. As a function of Ag thickness we characterized the optical transmittance and sheet resistance of the IAI samples by using UV-Visible spectroscopy and Hall measurement system, respectively. While the thickness of both ITO thin films in the 3-layered IAI samples were fixed at 50 nm, we varied Ag layer thickness in the range of 0 nm to 11 nm. The optical transmittance and sheet resistance of the 3-layered IAI thin films were found to vary strongly with the thickness of Ag film in the ITO (50 nm)/Ag(t₀)/ITO (50 nm) thin film. For the best transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrode, we obtained a 3-layered ITO (50 nm)/Ag (t₀ = 8.5 nm)/ITO (50 nm) that showed an avrage optical transmittance, AVT = 90.12% in the visible light region of 380 nm to 780 nm and the sheet resistance, R_□ = 7.24 Ω/□.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.162-169
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• 2017

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films show a low sheet resistance and high transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum. Therefore, they play an important role as transparent electrodes for flat panel displays. However, their resistivity is rather high for use as a transparent electrode in large displays. One way to improve electrical and optical properties in large displays is to use ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films. ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films have lower sheet resistance than single layer ITO films with the same thickness. Prior to the ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer experiments, optimal condition for thickness change are necessary. Their thicknesses were deposited differently in order to analyze electrical and optical properties. However, when optimal single film characteristics are applied to ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films, other phenomena appeared. After analyzing the electrical and optical properties by changing ITO and Ag film thickness, ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films were optimized. By combining ITO film at $586\;{\AA}$ and Ag film at 10 nm, the ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films showed optimized high optical transmittance of 87.65%, and the low sheet resistance of $5.5{\Omega}/sq$.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.100-104
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• 2019

The 'ITO/Ag/ITO' multilayers as a highly conductive and transparent electrode, even with the optimum thickness conditions, the transmittances were much lower than those of a single ITO layer on some ranges of the visible wavelength. In order to improve the transmittance, Ag layer was formed with mesh structure. Where, the thickness of the Ag layer was about 10 nm and the space between the Ag lines was varied from 2.9 ㎛ to 19.6 ㎛ with the fixed Ag width of about 1.2 ㎛ in order to vary an open ratio of the Ag mesh structure. The transmittance and sheet resistance in the ITO/Mesh-Ag/ITO multilayer structure were analyzed depending on the open ratio. As a result, a trade off in the open ratio was necessary in order to obtain the transmittance as high as possible and the sheet resistance as possible low. By the open ratio of about 86%, in the ITO/Mesh-Ag/ITO multilayer structure, the transmittance was nearly same as the single ITO layer and the sheet resistance was about 62.3 Ω/.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.33-36
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• 2015

It has increased several decades in the field of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) transparent thin film, However, a major problem with this ITO thin film application is high cost compared with other transparent thin film materials[1]. So far, in order to overcome this disadvantage, we show that a transparent ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film electrode would be more cost-effective and it has not only highly transparent but also conductive properties. The aim of this research has therefore been to try and establish how ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film would be more effective than ITO thin film. Herein, we report the properties of ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film by using optical spectroscopic method and measuring sheet resistance. At a certain total thickness of thin film, sheet resistance of ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer was drastically decreased than ITO layer approximately $40{\Omega}/{\Box}$ at same visible light transmittance. (minimal point $5.2{\Omega}/{\Box}$). Tendency, which shows lowly sheet resistive in a certain transmittance, has been observed, hence, it should be suitable for transparent electrode device.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2016

In the present work, a Ni-doped indium zinc oxide (NIZO) film and its multilayers with Ag layers were investigated as transparent conducting electrodes for liquid crystal display (LCD) applications, as a substitute for indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. By interposing the Ag layer between the NIZO layers, the loss of the optical transmittance occurred; however, the Ag layer brought enhancement of electrical sheet resistance to the NIZO/Ag/NIZO multilayer electrode. The twisted nematic cell based on the NIZO/Ag/NIZO multilayer electrode exhibited superior electro-optical characteristics than those based on single NIZO electrode and was competitive compared to those based on the conventional ITO electrode. An LCD-based NIZO/Ag/NIZO multilayer electrode may allow new approaches to conventional ITO electrodes in display technology.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.88-92
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• 2020

As a highly conductive and transparent electrode, the optical transmittances of ITO/Ag/ITO were simulated and compared with the experimental results. The simulations are based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in solving linear Maxwell equations. In our simulations, the computation domain is set in the XZ-plane with 3D dimension, and a plane wave with variable wavelengths ranging from 250 nm to 850 nm is incident in the z-direction at normal incidence to the ITO/Ag/ITO film surrounded by free-air space. As the results through both simulations and experiments, it was shown that the thickness combinations by the ITO layers of about 40 nm and the Ag layer of about 10 nm could be most suitable conditions as a high conductive transparent electrode having the transmittance similar to that of a single ITO layer.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2019

As a highly conductive and transparent electrode, ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers are fabricated using an in-line sputtering method. Optimal thickness conditions have been investigated in terms of the optical transmittance and the electrical conductance. Considering the optical properties, in this study, the experimental characteristics are analyzed based on theoretical phenomena, and they are compared with the simulated results. The simulations are based on the finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) method in solving linear Maxwell equations. Consequently, the results showed that ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer structures with respective thicknesses of 39.2 nm/10.7 nm/39.2 nm are most suitable with an average transmittance of about 87% calculated for wavelengths ranging from 400-800 nm and a sheet resistance of about $7.1{\Omega}/{\square}$.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.284-287
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• 2017

This paper introduces liquid crystal (LC) alignment and its electro-optical properties in the LC cells with silver nanowire (AgNW) networks. The AgNW network was used as an electrode of LC cell as a substitute for an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) film. LC alignment characteristics in the LC cell using AgNW networks, which have two different sheet resistances of $60{\Omega}/m^2$ and $80{\Omega}/m^2$, were observed. The LC alignment characteristics including pretilt angle, LC alignment state, and thermal stability are similar irrespective of sheet resistance of AgNW network. However, twisted-nematic (TN)-LC cell normally operated when using AgNW network with sheet resistance of $80{\Omega}/m^2$. Electrooptical properties of TN-LC cell exhibited competitive performance compared to those of TN-LC cell based on conventional ITO electrode, which allow new approaches to replace conventional ITO electrode in display technology.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.421-425
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• 2020

A transparent quantum dot (QD)-based light-emitting diode (LED) with silver nanowire (Ag NW) and indium-tin oxide (ITO) hybrid electrode is demonstrated. The device consists of an Ag NW-ITO hybrid cathode (-), zinc oxide, poly (9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), CdSe/CdZnS QD, tungsten trioxide, and ITO anode (+). The device shows pure green-color emission peaking at 548 nm, with a narrow spectral half width of 43 nm. Devices with hybrid cathodes show better performances, including higher luminance with higher current density, and lower threshold voltage of 5 V, compared with the reference device with a pure Ag NW cathode. It is worth noting that our transparent device with hybrid cathode exhibits a lifetime 9,300 seconds longer than that of a device with Ag NW cathode. This is the reason that the ITO overlayer can protect against oxidization of Ag NW, and the Ag NW underlayer can reduce the junction resistance and spread the current efficiently. The hybrid cathode for our transparent QD LED can applicable to other quantum structure-based optical devices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.397-397
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• 2007

Multilayer transparent electrodes, having a much lower electrical resistance than the widely used transparent conducting oxide electrodes, were prepared by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The multilayer structure consisted of five layers, indium tin oxided(ITO)/zinc oxide(ZnO)/Ag/oxide(ZnO)/ITO. With about 50nm thick ITO films, the multilayer showed a high optical transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum and had color neutrality. The electrical and optical properties of ITO/ZnO/Ag/ZnO/ITO multilayer were changed mainly by Ag film properties, which were affected by the deposition process of the upper layer. Especially ZnO layer was improved to adhesion of Ag and ITO. A high quality transparent electrode, having a resistance as low as and a high optical transmittance of 91% at 550nm, was obtained. It could satisfy the requirement for the flexible OLED and LCD.