Influence of spray-pyrolysis deposition parameters on the electrical properties of aluminium zinc oxides thin films

Abstract

In the current work, we evaluate the influence of the processing parameters on the electrical properties of aluminium zinc oxide (AZO) thin films produced by airbrush spray-pyrolysis deposition technique. Spray-deposited AZO thin-films were produced with Al:Zn molar ratios varying from 0 % (pure ZnO) up to 30 %, using aluminium acetate and zinc acetate as organic precursors and water as solvent. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) were used to monitor the metal-oxide formation from the organic precursors as a function of the temperature. The results show that a temperature of 400°C is necessary to completely degrade the organic phase and to obtain the desired inorganic metal-oxides films. The electrical properties of the TMOs were evaluated by d.c. current-voltage (I-V) analysis using planar thermally evaporated Al electrodes on top of the TMO layer, with different aspect ratios (1/18, 2/9, 5/13, 5/9 and 8/9). The lowest sheet resistance was obtained for AZO films at a molar Al concentration of 5 %. We also observed that, after carrying out a post-annealing treatment (30 mbar, 150°C) the samples presented a decrease on the sheet resistance superior to 60 %, in comparison to the samples before the treatment.