Preparation and thermal stability of F-doped ZnO transparent conducting thin films

Transparent conducting F-doped ZnO thin films were prepared on quartz substrates by using pulsed laser deposition. The effects of substrate temperature on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the films were investigated. Lowest resistivity of 5.15 × 10−4 Ω cm, with carrier concentration of 5.27 × 1020 cm−3 and Hall mobility of 23 cm2 V−1 s−1, was achieved for the film prepared at 300 °C. The average optical transmittance in the entire visible region was higher than 90%. The estimated optical bandgaps of the films were in the range from 3.53 to 3.73 eV, which were larger than that of undoped ZnO (3.2 eV) due to the Burstein–Moss effect. The highest figure of merit observed in this present study was 4.60 × 10−2 Ω−1. Furthermore, the prepared thin films can well retain the highly transparent conductive performance in oxidation ambient at elevated temperatures (up to 400 °C).

► Transparent conducting F-doped ZnO thin films were prepared by PLD.
► The presence of F in the film has been confirmed by SIMS measurement.
► The highest figure of merit observed in this study was 4.60 × 10−2 Ω−1.
► The films have relatively good thermal stability at elevated temperatures (up to 400 °C).
► The prepared films have great potential applications in UV device and thin film solar cells.