Preparation and properties of ZnO:Ga films prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering at low temperature

Gallium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) films were prepared on glass substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering at low substrates temperature. Structural, electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Ga films were investigated in terms of the preparation conditions. The obtained films were polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially oriented in the (0 0 2) crystallographic direction. The transmittance of the ZnO:Ga films in the visible range was over 90%. The lowest resistivity and sheet resistance for the ZnO:Ga films were about 3.9 × 10−4 Ω cm and 4 Ω/□, respectively.