Double-layer indium doped zinc oxide for silicon thin-film solar cell prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Indium doped zinc oxide(ZnO:In) thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis on corning eagle 2000 glass substrate.1 and 2 at.% indium doped single-layer ZnO:In thin films with different amounts of acetic acid added in the initial solution were fabricated.The 1 at.% indium doped single-layers have triangle grains.The 2 at.% indium doped single-layer with 0.18 acetic acid adding has the resistivity of 6.82×10-3Ω·cm and particle grains.The doublelayers structure is designed to fabricate the ZnO:In thin film with low resistivity(2.58×10-3Ω·cm) and good surface morphology.It is found that the surface morphology of the double-layer ZnO:In film strongly depends on the substratelayer,and the second-layer plays a large part in the resistivity of the double-layer ZnO:In thin film.Both total and direct transmittances of the double-layer ZnO:In film are above 80% in the visible light region.Single junction a-Si:H solar cell based on the double-layer ZnO:In as front electrode is also investigated.     

Induced growth of high quality ZnO thin filmsby crystallized amorphous ZnO

This paper reports the induced growth of high quality ZnO thin film by crystallized amorphous ZnO. Firstly amorphous ZnO was prepared by solid-state pyrolytic reaction, then by taking crystallized amorphous ZnO as seeds (buffer layer), ZnO thin films have been grown in diethyene glycol solution of zinc acetate at 80℃. X-ray Diffraction curve indicates that the films were preferentially oriented [001] out-of-plane direction of the ZnO. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the surface morphology of the ZnO thin film. Photoluminescence spectrum exhibits a strong ultraviolet emission while the visible emission is very weak. The results indicate that high quality ZnO thin film was obtained.     

Preparation and Characterization of Transparent Conductive Nb-Doped ZnO Films by Radio-Frequency Sputtering

Niobium-doped ZnO （NZO） transparent conductive films are deposited on glass substrates by rt sputtering at 300℃. Effects of sputtering power on the structural, morphologie, electrical, and optical properties of NZO films are investigated by x-ray diffraction （XRD）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, Hall measurement, and optical transmission spectroscopy. The obtained films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented in the （002） crystallographic direction. The minimum resistivity of 4.0×10^-4Ω·cm is obtained from the film grown at the sputtering power of 170W. The average optical transmittance of the films is over 90%.     

Effects of annealing rate and morphology of sol–gel derived ZnO on the performance of inverted polymer solar cells

The effects of annealing rate and morphology of sol–gel derived zinc oxide(ZnO)thin films on the performance of inverted polymer solar cells(IPSCs)are investigated.ZnO films with different morphologies are prepared at different annealing rates and used as the electron transport layers in IPSCs.The undulating morphologies of ZnO films fabricated at annealing rates of 10 C/min and 3 C/min each possess a rougher surface than that of the ZnO film fabricated at a fast annealing rate of 50 C/min.The ZnO films are characterized by atomic force microscopy(AFM),optical transmittance measurements,and simulation.The results indicate that the ZnO film formed at 3 C/min possesses a good-quality contact area with the active layer.Combined with a moderate light-scattering,the resulting device shows a 16%improvement in power conversion efficiency compared with that of the rapidly annealed ZnO film device.     

Chemical synthesis of zinc oxide nanorods for enhanced hydrogen gas sensing

Zinc oxide(ZnO) nanorods are prepared using equimolar solution of zinc nitrate((Zn(NO3)2) and hexamethylenetetramine(C6H12N4) by the hydrothermal technique at 80 C for 12 h. Epitaxial growth is explored by X-ray diffraction(XRD) patterns, revealing that the ZnO nanorods have a hexagonal(wurtzite) structure. Absorption spectra of ZnO are measured by UV–visible spectrometer. The surface morphology is investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM). The synthesized ZnO nanorods are used for detecting the 150 C hydrogen gas with a concentration over 1000 ppm. The obtained results show a reversible response. The influence of operating temperature on hydrogen gas detecting characteristic of ZnO nanorods is also investigated.     

Fabrication processing effects on the microstructure and morphology of erbium film

The effect of substrate temperature on the microstructure and the morphology of erbium film are systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the erbium films are grown by electron-beam vapor deposition (EBVD). A novel preparation method for observing the cross-section morphology of the erbium film is developed. The films deposited at 200°C have (002) preferred orientation, and the films deposited at 450°C have a mixed (100) and (101) texture, due to the different growth mechanisms of surface energy minimization and recrystallization, respectively. The peak positions and the full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) of erbium diffraction lines (100), (002), and (101) shift towards higher angles and decrease with the increasing substrate temperature in a largely uniform manner, respectively. Also, the lattice constants decrease with increasing temperature. The transition in the film stresses can be used to interpret the changes in peak positions, FWHMs, and lattice constants. The stress is compressive for the as-growth films, and is counteracted by the tensile stress formed during the process of temperature cooling to room temperature. The tensile stress mainly originates from the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the substrate-film couple.     

Fabrication processing effects on microstructure and morphology of erbium film

The effects of substrate temperature on the microstructure and the morphology of erbium film are systematically investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the erbium films are grown by the electron-beam vapor deposition (EBVD). A novel preparation method for observing the cross-section morphology of the erbium film is developed. The films deposited at 200 ℃ have (002) preferred orientation, and the films deposited at 450 ℃ have mixed (100) and (101) texture, which are due to the different growth mechanisms of surface energy minimization and recrystallization, respectively. The peak positions and the full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) of erbium diffraction lines (100), (002), and (101) shift towards higher angles and decrease with the increasing substrate temperature in a largely uniform manner, respectively. Also, the lattice constants decrease with the increasing temperature. The transition in the film stresses can be used to interpret the changes in peak positions, FWHMs, and lattice constants. The stress is compressive for the as-growth films, and is counteracted by the tensile stress formed during the process of temperature cooling down to room temperature. The tensile stress mainly originates from the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of substrate--film couple.     

The Influence of Au-Doping on Morphology and Visible-Light Reflectivity of TiN Thin Films Deposited by Direct-Current Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Ti, TiN and Au-TiN （Au content： from 0.5%to 7.7%） thin films were deposited on stainless steel substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering with a metal Ti target. The crystal structure, surface morphology and visiblelight reflectivity of the films for different film compositions are studied in detail. Distinctly different surface morphologies appear for the Ti, TiN and Au-TiN thin films. It can be observed that the surface morphology of the TiN film is affected by the Au-doping, when the Au content increases from 0% to 7.7%, surface roughness enlarges from 62.4 to 82.8 nm. Moreover, visible-light reflectivity varies significantly with increasing A u contents in the TiN films. However, the rettectivity of the TiN thin film at 550-800 nm is higher than that of the Au-TiN thin film. The present work illustrates the dependence of metal elements on the surface morphology and on the reflectivity of Au-TiN thin films. It is speculated that the addition of Au can suppress the formation and growth of TiN grains so that it changes the surface morphology and the Au-TiN thin film has potential applications in spectral selective coating.     

Microstructure and optical properties of nitrogen-doped ZnO film

The nitrogen doping of ZnO film deposited by the magnetron sputtering method is subsequently realized by the hydrothermal synthesis method.The nitrogen-doped ZnO film is preferably(002) oriented.With the increase of hexamethylenetetramine(HMT) solution concentration,the average grain size of the film along the 002 direction almost immediately decreases and then monotonously increases,conversely,the lattice strain first increases and then decreases.The structural evolution of the film surface from compact and even to sparse and rough is attributed to the enhanced nitrogen doping content in the hydrothermal process.The transmission and photoluminescence properties of the film are closely related to grain size,lattice strain,and nitrogen-related defect arising from the enhanced nitrogen doping content with HMT concentration increasing.     

Structural modification of C60 films induced by 300-keV Xe-ion irradiation

The structural modification of C 60 films induced by 300-keV Xe-ion irradiation was investigated.The irradiated C 60 films were analysed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,the Raman scattering technique,ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry and atomic force microscopy.The analysis results indicate that the Xe-ion irradiation induces polymerization and damage of the C 60 molecule and significantly modifies the surface morphology and the optical property of the C 60 films.The damage cross-section for the C 60 molecule was also evaluated.     

(Li,Cu)掺杂ZnO薄膜的发光性质

利用溶胶-凝胶(Sol-gel)法在n型si(100)衬底上制备(Li,Cu)掺杂ZnO薄膜,研究了室温下薄膜的结构、形貌和光致发光性能.研究结果表明,随着Li掺杂浓度的增加,可见光发光强度增加,可见光发射可能是源于单电离氧窄位到价带顶以及单电离氧空位到Li替位Zn(Lizn)受主跃迁的双重作用.与此类似,Cu掺杂Zn...     

射频磁控溅射低温制备非晶铟镓锌氧薄膜晶体管

利用射频磁控溅射技术室温制备了铟镓锌氧(IGZO)薄膜,采用X射线衍射(XRD)表征薄膜的晶体结构,原子力显微镜(AFM)观察其表面形貌,分光光度计测量其透光率。结果表明:室温制备的IGZO薄膜为非晶态且薄膜表面均匀平整,可见光透射率大于80%。将室温制备的IGZO薄膜作为有源层,在低温(<200℃)条件下成功地制备了铟镓锌氧薄膜晶体管(a-IGZO TFT),获得的a-IGZO-TFT器件的场效应迁移率大于6.0 cm2.V-1.s-1,开关比约为107,阈值电压为1.2 V,亚阈值摆幅(S)约为0.9 V/dec,偏压应力测试a-IGZO TFT阈值电压随时间向右漂移。     

Sn doping effects on the electro-optical properties of sol gel derived transparent ZnO films

Undoped and tin (Sn) doped ZnO films have been deposited by sol gel spin coating method. The Sn/Zn nominal volume ratio was 1, 3 and 5% in the solution. The effect of Sn incorporation on structural and electro-optical properties of ZnO films was investigated. All the films have polycrystalline structure, with a preferential growth along the ZnO (002) plane. The crystallite size was calculated using a well-known Scherrer's formula and found to be in the range of 26-16 nm. X-ray diffraction patterns of the films showed that Sn incorporation leads to substantial changes in the structural characteristics of ZnO films. The SEM measurements showed that the surface morphology of the films was affected from the Sn incorporation. The highest average optical transmittance value in the visible region was belonging to the undoped ZnO film. The optical band gap and Urbach energy values of these films were determined. The absorption edge shifted to the lower energy depending on the Sn dopant. The shift of absorption edge is associated with shrinkage effect. The electrical conductivity of the ZnO film enhanced with the Sn dopant. From the temperature dependence of conductivity measurements, the activation energy of ZnO film increased with Sn incorporation.     

电化学沉积高c轴取向ZnO薄膜及其光学性能分析

采用阴极还原方法，在透明导电玻璃(ITO)上制备了高c轴择优取向的ZnO薄膜.通过X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜等表征技术，研究了沉积电流对ZnO薄膜的结构、应力状态及表面形貌的影响；利用光致荧光光谱及透射光谱等分析方法，探讨了沉积电流变化对ZnO薄膜的光学性能的影响.研究结果显示：各沉积电流下均可制得高c轴取向的ZnO薄膜；薄膜表面形貌受电流的影响较大；从透射谱可以看出，薄膜在可见光波段有较高透射率，且薄膜厚度随沉积电流的增大而增大.光致荧光测量表明，电化学沉积的ZnO薄膜具有明显的带隙展宽.而且，随着沉积电流的增加，带隙发光强度逐渐减弱，缺陷发光逐渐增强.     

The effect of various complexing agents on the morphology and optoelectronic properties of chemically deposited ZnS thin films: A comparative study

Thin films of ZnS were synthesized on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition technique. The effect of three different complexing agents, viz. hydrazine hydrate (HH), triethanolamine (TEA) and trisodiumcitrate (TSC) on the growth and physical properties of ZnS films has been investigated. The experimental results indicated that the complexing agents affect the structure, lattice strain, surface morphology and optoelectronic properties of ZnS films significantly. X-ray diffraction studies disclosed that all the ZnS layers crystallized in hexagonal form and the predominant orientations of the crystallites differed with complexing agents. Thickness of the films profoundly varied with the complexing agents though the deposition parameters like time, temperature and pH of reaction baths were kept constant. Atomic Force Microscopy revealed the variation in surface topography and roughness of the films. The film with HH as complexing agent exhibited maximum transmittance (87%) in the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum whereas those synthesized using TEA and TSC had a lower transmittance of approximately 60% and 50% respectively. The corresponding values of optical band gap were found to be 3.73, 3.64 and 3.57 eV respectively. The room temperature photoluminescence emission spectra consisted of bright blue emission peaks for all the samples. The intensity of emission peak was found to be maximum for TSC film and minimum for HH film.     

Improved surface morphology of flow-modulated MOVPE grown AIN on sapphire using thin medium-temperature AIN buffer layer

High-temperature (HT) AIN films were grown on (0 0 0 1) sapphire by low-pressure flow-modulated (FM) metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) with and without inserting a thin medium-temperature (MT) AIN layer. To suppress parasitic reactions between the sources of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and ammonia (NH₃), TMA and NH₃ was introduced to the reactor of MOVPE by alternating supply way. Surface morphology and crystalline quality were characterized by a scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray rocking curve (XRC) measurements of (0 0 0 2) and (10-12) diffractions. The AFM and SEM measurements indicated that the thin MT-AIN layer had a strong influence on the surface morphology of the HT-AIN films. The surface morphology became quite smooth by inserting the thin MT-AIN layer and surface RMS roughness values were 0.84 nm and 13.4 nm for the HT-AIN films with and without inserting the thin MT-AIN buffer layer, respectively. By etching the samples in aqueous KOH solution, it was found that the polarity of AIN films was different, the HT-AIN film with the thin MT-AIN layer could not be etched, indicating that the film had an Al-polar surface; however, the film without the MT-AIN layer was etched, which was explained that that film had a N- or mixed-polar surface. The mechanism for the origin of the different polarity of HT-AIN with and without the thin MT-AIN layer was proposed and discussed in detail.     

基底材料对磁控共溅射Al-Cu-Fe薄膜特性的影响

 采用磁控共溅射工艺来制备Al-Cu-Fe薄膜,选用抛光状态的纯Al、纯Cu和不同粗糙度的不锈钢基作为基底材料。通过原子力显微镜分析薄膜的表面形貌,利用扫描电镜能谱仪分析薄膜的元素含量;通过MTS纳米力学综合测试系统分析薄膜的结合强度和摩擦因数。分析结果表明：不锈钢作为基底材料的薄膜与基体的结合强度最大,其次为纯铝和纯铜。纯铜基底薄膜的摩擦因数最大,达到0.17,其余两种薄膜的摩擦因数均不大于0.03。而薄膜表面形貌与基底材料的原始形貌有直接的联系,基底原始粗糙度越小,薄膜的表面组织也越细;基底原始粗糙度越大,薄膜表面形成的晶粒的团聚越明显。     

Chemical bonding states and atomic distribution within Zn(S,O) film prepared on CIGS/Mo/glass substrates by chemical bath deposition

Zn(S,O) thin films fabricated on CIGS/Mo/glass substrates by using chemical bath deposition (CBD) in acidic and basic solutions were studied. The Zn(S,O) thin films prepared in acidic solution [A-Zn(S,O) thin film] showed better crystallinity and a more compact surface morphology with larger grains than those prepared in basic solution [B-Zn(S,O) thin film] did. From the analysis of the chemical bonding states, at the initial growth step, the concentration ratio of Zn–O/Zn–S bonds in A-Zn(S,O) thin films was found to be approximately zero, while that in B-Zn(S,O) thin films was approximately equal to 1. The elemental distribution according to depth, determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), was shown to be uniform throughout both the A- and B-Zn(S,O) thin films. To reduce the number of Zn–O bonds in the B-Zn(S,O) thin films, the samples were post-annealed at up to 300 °C under vacuum, after which the concentration ratio of Zn–O/Zn–S bonds decreased by about 71% without any change in the crystallinity or surface morphology.