Characteristics of aluminum-doped zinc oxide films with oxygen plasma treatment for solar cell applications

• Aluminum-doped zinc oixde (AZO) films by radio frequency magnetron sputtering.
• AZO films subjected to oxygen plasma treatments.
• Effects of plasma treatment on the electrical, optical, structural properties of the films.
• Improvement of the work function with increasing O2 plasma treatment power and time.

The influence of oxygen plasma treatment on the electro-optical and structural properties of aluminum-doped zinc oixde (AZO) films fabricated by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method were investigated. The films were exposed to various oxygen (O2) plasma treatment conditions. The plasma was created in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. The resistivity, optical tranmittance, and work function of AZO films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering was 5.6 × 10− 4 Ω · cm, 80%, and 4.6, repectively. The resistivity, optical trasmittance, and work function of the AZO films that were post-treated by O2 plasma treatment showed 9.2 × 10− 4 Ω · cm, 82%, and 5.6, respectively. The resistivity, carrier concentration, and hall mobility properties of AZO films deteriorated with increasing O2 plasma treatment power and time, whereas the work function and optical transmittance properties improved.