• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.122-126
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• 2012

The properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films were investigated as a function of $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratio using an AZO (2 wt% $Al_2O_3$) ceramic target in a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering system. The deposition process was done at $200^{\circ}C$ and in $2{\times}10^{-2}$ Torr working pressure and with various ratios of $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas. During the AZO film deposition process, partial $H_2$ gas affected the AZO film characteristics. The electron resistivity (${\sim}9.21{\times}10^{-4}\;{\Omega}cm$) was lowest and mobility (${\sim}17.8\;cm^2/Vs$) was highest in AZO films when the $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratio was 2.5 %. When the $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratio was increased above 2.5 %, the electron resistivity increased and mobility decreased with increasing $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratio in AZO films. The carrier concentration increased with increasing $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratio from 0 % to 7.5 %. This phenomenon was explained by reaction of hydrogen and oxygen and additional formation of oxygen vacancy. The average optical transmission in the visible light wavelength region over 90 % and an orientation of the deposition was [002] orientation for AZO films grown with all $H_2/(Ar+H_2)$ gas ratios.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.629-633
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• 2007

This study examined the effect of growth temperature on the electrical and optical properties of hydrogenated Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO:H) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering using a ceramic target (98 wt.% ZnO, 2 wt.% $Al_2O_3$). Various AZO films on glass were prepared by changing the substrate temperature from room temperature to $200^{\circ}C$. It was shown that intentionally incorporated hydrogen plays an important role on the electrical properties of AZO : H films by increasing free carrier concentration. As a result, in the 2% $H_2$ addition at the growth temperature of $150^{\circ}C$, resistivity of $3.21{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, mobility of $21.9cm^2/V-s$, electric charge carrier concentration of $9.35{\times}10^{20}cm^{-3}$ was obtained. The AZO : H films show a hexagonal wurtzite structure preferentially oriented in the (002) crystallographic direction.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.847-854
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• 2012

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were grown on quartz substrates by the sol-gel method. The effects of the Al mole fraction on the structural and optical properties of the AZO thin films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The particle size of the AZO thin films decreased with an increase in Al concentrations. The optical parameters, the optical band gap, absorption coefficient, refractive index, dispersion parameter, and optical conductivity, were studied in order to investigate the effects of Al concentration on the optical properties of AZO thin films. The dispersion energy, single-oscillator energy, average oscillator wavelength, average oscillator strength, and refractive index at an infinite wavelength of the AZO thin films were affected by the Al incorporation. The optical conductivity of the AZO thin films also increased with increasing photon energy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.04c
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• pp.41-41
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• 2008

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films have been fabricated by vertical in-line dc magnetron sputtering for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) applications. The effects of substrate temperature and dc power on the characteristics of AZO thin films are investigated and also optimized the process conditions to get the best electrical and optical properties. The fabricated thin films show a good electrical and optical uniformity within ${\pm}5%$ over the whole area of substrate ($200mm\;{\times}\;200mm$) ; the minimum resistivity of $8\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;{\Omega}cm$ and the average transmittance of 90% within the visible wavelength range. We have found that the band gap ($E_g$) increases with increasing substrate temperature and dc power, whereas the crystallinity is getting improved with increasing substrate temperature. The binding energy of Zn $2p_{3/2}$ and O 1s is observed to decrease as the substrate temperature increases.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2018

Herein we report on the selective synthesis and direct growth of nanostructures using an aqueous chemical growth route. Specifically, Al-doped ZnO (AZO) nanoflakes (NFs) are vertically grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets at low temperature and ambient environment. The morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the NFs are investigated as a function of the Al content. Furthermore, these AZO-NFs are integrated into perovskite solar devices as the electron transport layer (ETL) and the fabricated devices are tested for photovoltaic performance. It was determined that the doping of AZO-NFs significantly increases the performance metrics of the solar cells, mainly by increasing the short-circuit current of the devices. The observed enhancement is primarily attributed to the improved conductivity of the doped AZO-NF, which facilitates charge separation and reduces recombination. Further, our flexible solar cells fabricated through this low temperature process demonstrate an acceptable reproducibility and stability when exposed to a mechanical bending test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society Of Semiconductor Equipment Technology
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.207-210
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• 2007

We prepared Al doped ZnO/Ag/Al doped ZnO on the polymer substrate by Facing Target Sputtering (FTS). FTS featured Facing Target Sputtering featured that deposition is stable at the low pressure, it has high plasma density and suppresses the substrate damage from energetic particles. We fixed to 50nm up and down thickness of AZO layer, respectively and that of intermediate Ag layer was adjusted with deposition time. In the result, AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer thin films have much better electrical conductivity than AZO single layer thin film. As increasing the thickness of Ag layer, the transmittance decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.543-551
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• 2012

In this study, transparent conducting Al-doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) films with a thickness of 150 nm were prepared on corning glass substrate by the RF magnetron sputtering with using a Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO), ($Al_2O_3$: 2 wt%) target at room temperature. This study investigated the effect of rapid thermal annealing temperature and oxygen ambient on structural, electrical and optical properties of Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films. The films were annealed at temperatures ranging from 400 to $700^{\circ}C$ by using Rapid thermal equipment in oxygen ambient. The effect of RTA treatment on the structural properties were studied by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. It is observed that the Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin film annealed at $500^{\circ}C$ at 5 minute oxygen ambient gas reveals the strongest XRD emission intensity and narrowest full width at half maximum among the temperature studied. The enhanced UV emission from the film annealed at $500^{\circ}C$ at 5 minute oxygen ambient gas is attributed to the improved crystalline quality of Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin film due to the effective relaxation of residual compressive stress and achieving maximum grain size.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2017

In this paper, synthesis of terephthalate intercalated Zn-Al: Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) was studied. We designed freestanding Zn-Al: carbonate LDH nanosheets for a facile exchange technique. The as-prepared Zn-Al carbonate LDHs were converted to terephthalate intercalated Zn-Al:LDHs by ion exchange method. Initially, Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on p-Si (001) by facing target sputtering. For synthesis of free standing carbonate Zn-Al:LDH, we dipped the AZO thin film in naturally carbonated water for 3 hours. Further, Zn-Al: carbonate LDH nanosheets were immersed in terepthalic acid (TA) solution. The ion exchange phenomena in the terephthalate assisted Zn-Al:LDH were confirmed using FT-IR analysis. The crystal structure of terephthalate intercalated Zn-Al:LDH was investigated by XRD pattern analysis with different mole concentrations of TA solution and reaction times. The optimal conditions for intercalation of terephthalate from carbonated Zn-Al LDH were established using 0.3 M aqueous solution of TA for 24 hours.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.447-447
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• 2009

In this study, transparent and conductive Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were prepared on Corning glass and silicon wafer substrate by RF magnetron sputtering method using an Al-doped ZnO target (Al: 2 wt.%) at room temperature as the thickness of 150 nm. We investigated the effects of the RF power between 100 Wand 350 W in steps of 50 W on structural, electrical and optical properties of AZO films. Also, we studied the effects of the working pressure (3, 4 and 5 mtorr) on that condition. The thickness and cross-sectional images of films were observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and all of the films were kept to be constant to $150\pm10$ nm on Coming glass and silicon wafer. A grain size was calculated from X-ray diffraction (XRD) on using the Scherrer' equation and their electrical properties investigated hall effect electronic transport measurement system. Moreover, we measured transmittance of AZO films by UV/VIS spectrometer.

• 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).