High figure-of-merit p-type transparent conductor, Cu alloyed ZnS via radio frequency magnetron sputtering

p-type transparent conducting Cu alloyed ZnS thin films from CuxZn1-xS targets (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) were deposited on glass substrates via radio frequency sputtering. x-ray diffraction and TEM-SAED analysis show that all the films have sphalerite ZnS as the majority crystalline phase. In addition, films with 30% and 40% Cu show the presence of increasing amounts of crystalline Cu2S phase. Conductivity values. 400 S cm(-1) were obtained for the films having 30% and 40% Cu, with the maximum conductivity of 752 S cm(-1) obtained for the film with 40% Cu. Temperature dependent electrical transport measurements indicate metallic as well as degenerate hole conductivity in the deposited films. The reflection-corrected transmittance of this Cu alloyed ZnS (40% Cu) film was determined to be. 75% at 550 nm. The transparent conductor figure of merit (Phi(TC)) of the Cu alloyed ZnS (40% Cu), calculated with the average value of transmittance between 1.5 to 2.5 eV, was approximate to 276 mu S.