In-situ doping preparation of Al-doped ZnO films via pulsed laser co-ablation of Zn and Al targets with assistance of oxygen plasma

•AZO thin films are prepared by in-situ doping method via co-ablation of Zn and Al.•Zn ablation results in the reactive deposition of ZnO film assisted by oxygen plasma.•Al ablation provides Al dopants for in-situ doping in the growing ZnO film.•AZO thin films are feature with hexagonal wurtzite structure.•AZO thin films show high optical transparency and electrical conductivity.

An in-situ doping method for the preparation of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films based on pulsed laser co-ablation of Zn and Al targets with the assistance of an oxygen plasma is reported. The deposited films were characterized for morphological, structural, optical and electrical properties and the effects of post-deposition annealing. The films have a smooth surface, dense structure and well-distributed composition, and show high optical transparency and electrical conductivity. Annealing in 5%H2+95%N2 mixed gas results in the improvement in structural, crystal, optical and electrical properties. Compared with undoped ZnO, the AZO films exhibit a blue shift in absorption edge and an increase of band gap. This method also has potential for preparing AZO and other doped films with different dopant concentrations.