P-type transparent conducting SnO2:Zn film derived from thermal diffusion of Zn/SnO2/Zn multilayer thin films

Highly transparent, p-type conducting SnO2:Zn thin films are prepared from the thermal diffusion of a sandwich structure of Zn/SnO2/Zn multilayer thin films deposited on quartz glass substrate by direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using Zn and SnO2 targets. The deposited films were annealed at various temperatures for thermal diffusion. The effect of annealing temperature and time on the structural, electrical and optical performances of SnO2:Zn films was studied. XRD results show that all p-type conducting films possessed polycrystalline SnO2 with tetragonal rutile structure. Hall effect results indicate that the treatment at 400 °C for 6 h was the optimum annealing parameters for p-type SnO2:Zn films which have relatively high hole concentration and low resistivity of 2.389 × 1017 cm− 3 and 7.436 Ω cm, respectively. The average transmission of the p-type SnO2:Zn films was above 80% in the visible light range.

► P-type conducting SnO2:Zn thin films are prepared from the thermal diffusion.
► The films showed p-type conductivity within an annealing temperature range 400–500 °C.
► The 400 °C for 6 h was the optimum annealing parameters.
► The average transmission of the SnO2:Zn films was 80% in the visible light range.