Transparent and Conductive ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Atmospheric-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition Using Zinc Acetylacetonate

Highly transparent and conductive undoped and impurity-doped ZnO thin films have been prepared by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Zn(C5H7O2)2 as a zinc source. A resistivity as low as 4.6×10-3 Ω cm and an average transmittance above 85% in the visible range were obtained for undoped ZnO thin films deposited at 550°C using H2O as the oxygen source. Al-doped ZnO films with a resistivity as low as 7×10-3 Ω cm and an average transmittance above 85% in the visible range were prepared at 350°C by the atmospheric-pressure CVD using Al(C5H7O2)3 as the dopant source. In addition, ZnO films with textured surface (milky films) were easily prepared with thicknesses greater than about 400 nm by the atmospheric pressure CVD.