Direct deposition of textured ZnO:Al TCO films by rf sputtering method for thin film solar cells

Author

Lee, J.C. ; Kang, K.H. ; Kim, S.K. ; Park, I.J. ; Song, J. ; Yoon, K.H.

Author_Institution

New & Renewable Energy Dept., Korea Inst. of Energy Res., Taejon, South Korea

fYear

2002

fDate

19-24 May 2002

Firstpage

1286

Lastpage

1289

Abstract

Textured thin films ZnO has been successfully grown by rf magnetron sputtering method using a special technique of introducing a small amount of water and methanol on the deposition chamber. The surface morphology of the films has pyramidal structure and the degree of texture is dependent on the Ar ambient pressure. The pressure in this experiment varied from 50 mTorr to 5 mTorr and the highest grain size of the film is obtained at 5 mTorr. The total transmittance of the films are more than 85% in the wavelength of 400 to 800nm, and haze ratio of about 14% is obtained at 400nm wavelength. Beside the textured surface, these films also have very low resistivity, lower than 1.4 × 10^-3 Ωcm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the films showed the clear change of film growth from columnar to granular growth when the water or methanol was added during sputtering process. The granular growth of the films was closely related to the amount of OH molecules in the films.

Keywords

II-VI semiconductors; X-ray diffraction; aluminium compounds; grain size; semiconductor growth; semiconductor thin films; solar cells; sputtered coatings; surface morphology; texture; zinc compounds; 1.4×10^-3 ohmcm; 400 to 800 nm; 50 to 5 mtorr; X-ray diffraction; ZnO:Al; columnar to granular growth; degree of texture; direct deposition; highest grain size; methanol; pyramidal structure; rf sputtering method; surface morphology; textured ZnO:Al TCO films; textured surface; thin film solar cells; very low resistivity; water; Argon; Conductivity; Grain size; Methanol; Photovoltaic cells; Sputtering; Surface morphology; Surface texture; X-ray diffraction; Zinc oxide;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002. Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE

ISSN

1060-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7471-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190844

Filename

1190844