Optimization of process parameters for the electrical properties in Ga-doped ZnO thin films prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering

Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conductive thin films have been deposited on quartz substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The optimization of four process parameters (i.e., vacuum annealing temperature, r.f. power, sputtering pressure, and Ar flow rate) based on Taguchi method has been systematically studied in order to obtain the minimum resistivity. Compared to the optimal parameter set selected from orthogonal array by Taguchi method, the optimal prediction design can receive an improvement of 22.3% in electrical resistivity, and the corresponding resistivity is 8.08 × 10−4 Ω cm. The analysis of variance shows that vacuum annealing temperature is the most significant influencing parameter on the electrical properties in GZO films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence results exhibit that the enhancement in electrical conductivity after vacuum annealing is ascribed to the variation of the chemical states of oxygen in GZO films. With the increase in annealing temperature, the content of absorbed oxygen and interstitial oxygen as acceptors will decrease.