Optical and Mechanical Properties of Transparent Conductive Al-Doped ZnO Films Deposited by the Sputtering Method

Al-doped ZnO transparent conductive oxide thin films (AZO) are prepared by the magnetron sputtering method. The structural, optical and mechanical properties of the AZO films are studied systematically. The average haze of the AZO sample is increased from 0.34% to 23.6% through wet etching treatment between 380 and 1100 nm, and the etched AZO sample has a higher average transmittance of about 82.3% in infrared wavelength range from 760 to 1100 nm due to the reduction of absorption by carriers. The average hardness and elastic modulus of the as-deposited AZO films, as determined using the nanoindentation technique, are approximately 10.2 GPa and 130 GPa, respectively. The critical fracture load related to the adhesion strength is about 91 mN. The optimized optical and electrical properties and referable mechanical data indicate that AZO films have good prospects for commercial applications.