The properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide thin films prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering from nanopowder targets

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) films were deposited onto glass substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering at ambient temperature using, for the first time, doped nanocrystalline powder synthesized by the sol–gel method. The effects of aluminum on structural, electrical, morphological and optical properties were investigated. The films showed a hexagonal wurtzite structure and high preferential orientation in the (002) crystallographic direction. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the films morphology. The obtained samples have a typical columnar structure and a very smooth surface. The optical transmittance spectra showed transmittance higher than 90% within the visible wavelength region. A minimum resistivity of 5.436 · 10− 5 Ω cm at room temperature was obtained for the 3.0 at.% Al-doped film.