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Optimization of aluminum‐doped ZnO thin‐film deposition by magnetron sputtering for liquid crystal display applications
Author(s) -
Minami Tadatsugu,
Miyata Toshihiro,
Ohtani Yuusuke
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200622533
Subject(s) - sputter deposition , materials science , cavity magnetron , thin film , electrical resistivity and conductivity , deposition (geology) , sputtering , optoelectronics , indium tin oxide , doping , electrode , crystal (programming language) , mineralogy , analytical chemistry (journal) , nanotechnology , chemistry , electrical engineering , computer science , geology , organic chemistry , paleontology , engineering , sediment , programming language
This paper describes the optimization of ZnO:Al (AZO) thin films formed by a magnetron sputtering method for the purpose of creating a substitute for the indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) transparent electrodes used in liquid crystal display (LCD) applications. New AZO thin‐film preparation techniques for both decreasing resistivity as well as improving resistivity distribution have been investigated: magnetron sputtering deposition in a weakly reducing atmosphere and newly developed high‐rate magnetron sputtering deposition techniques. A low resistivity below 5 × 10 –4 Ω cm and improvement of the resistivity distribution could be obtained using a commercially available high density sintered AZO target by introducing hydrogen gas into the deposition chamber during depositions with a dc magnetron sputtering method that incorporates rf power. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)