Transparent conductive zinc-oxide-based films grown at low temperature by mist chemical vapor deposition

Atmospheric pressure mist chemical vapor deposition (Mist-CVD) systems have been developed to grow zinc-oxide-based (ZnO-based) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films. Low-resistive aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) TCOs, showing resistivity of the order on 10(-4) Omega cm, previously were grown using a safe source material zinc acetate [Zn(ac)(2)], at a growth temperature as high as 500 degrees C. To grow superior TCOs at lower temperatures, we proposed the addition of NH3 to accelerate the reaction of acetylacetonate compounds. As the result, we could grow gallium-doped ZnO (GZO) TCOs with a resistivity of 2.7 x 10(-3) Omega cm and transmittance higher than 90% at 300 degrees C by using zinc acetylacetonate [Zn(acac)(2)] as the Zn source. To grow boron-doped ZnO (BZO) TCOs at a lower growth temperature of 200 degrees C, we used boron doping along with a toluene solution of diethylzinc (DEZ), that maintained high reactivity without being flammable. These BZO TCOs showed a resistivity of 1.5 x10(-3) Omega cm and transmittance higher than 90%, despite the use of a non-vacuum-based open-air technology. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.