Transparent conducting oxide thin films of Si-doped ZnO prepared by aerosol assisted CVD

For the first time, aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) was used to deposit Si-doped ZnO thin films on glass. Depositions were done at a temperature of 450 degrees C. The precursor solution was made by dissolving the air-stable compounds zinc acetylacetonate and tetraethyl orthosilicate in methanol with a small addition of acetic acid to aid solubility. The dopant concentration in the precursor solution was optimised to find the best optoelectronic properties. The incorporation of Si into the ZnO lattice was confirmed by unit cell volumes calculated from X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The films consisted of pure phase wurtzite ZnO, with preferred orientation in the (002) plane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the surface morphology of the films. The optical properties of the films were analysed using UV/vis spectroscopy and indicated that the average transmittance in the visible part of the spectrum (400-700 nm) varied between 72% and 80%. The electrical properties of the films were obtained from Hall effect measurements using the van der Pauw method. The incorporation of Si into the films resulted in a decrease in resistivity down to a minimum value of 2.0 x 10(-2) U cm for the film deposited from a 4 mol% Si : Zn ratio in the precursor solution. This conductive film was a significant improvement over the non-conductive undoped ZnO film.