Transparent and Highly Conductive Films of ZnO Prepared by RF Sputtering

Zinc oxide thin films with the resistivity of 5×10-3Ω·cm and the transparency of above 80% at the wavelength between 400 and 800 nm have been prepared by conventional rf sputtering in pure argon from a zinc oxide target. A close relation of their electrical characteristics with crystallographic characteristics is found using X-ray diffraction analysis. The low resistivity films consist of very small crystal grains, the c-axis of which is not preferentially oriented or is weakly oriented parallel to the substrate surface.