Preparation of transparent conducting ZnO:Al films on polymer substrates by r. f. magnetron sputtering

Highly transparent conducting Al-doped ZnO films with good adherence and low resistivity have been prepared on polymer substrates by r. f. magnetron sputtering. Mechanically stable polycrystalline conducting ZnO:Al films having a preferred orientation with the 002.planes parallel to the substrates were deposited on polyisocyanate PI.substrate with resistivities in the range of 4.1=10y3 to 5.110y4 V cm, with carrier densities more than 2.6=1020 cmy3 and Hall mobilities between 5.78 and 13.11 cm2 Vy1 sy1. The average transmittance exceeded 80% for a 440 nm thick film deposited on polypropylene adipate PPA.substrate in the visible spectrum. The quality of obtained films depended on substrate temperatures, sputtering power, Ar pressures and compositions of used targets during film fabrication. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved