Review on material properties of IZO thin films useful as epi-n-TCOs in opto-electronic (SIS solar cells, polymeric LEDs) devices

Recently, materials were developed with lower resistivities than previously achieved and with optical properties superior to those of the present generation of TCOs. This has now been recognized internationally and novel materials are being investigated. Improving the mobility of the charge carriers lead to superior performance of both optical and transport phenomena. Development of low cost, high quality anti-reflective coatings is also a currently engaged field in opto-electronics industries. Our efforts on this point of view using indium zinc oxide (IZO)-a peculiar advanced III-II-VI compound semiconductor were presented in this review. Unique properties of the material leads it for too many commercial device applications irrespective of the methods of preparation. We hope that surely these data will be helpful either as a scientific or technical basis in the material science in semiconductor processing. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.