Review on Transparent Conductive Oxides Thin Films deposited by Sol-gel spin coating technique

Abstract

The discovery of transparent conducting oxides, TCO’s, has been a major breakthrough across electro-optical industries as significant durability, portability and flexibility of products have been achieved without compromising the efficiency and cost effectiveness of such product. Indium tin oxide, ITO, being the most widely used has shown appreciable performance with its high transmittance range of values coupled with high conductivity. Its toxic nature and continuous scarcity in the earth crust has however raised a concern, thereby necessitating an urgent need for adequate and effectual alternatives. With some of these alternatives already in use, the method applied in the preparation of TCO thin film is another factor that affects its performance. Sol-gel spin-coating method being one of the many deposition methods available is of great importance due to its simplicity and relatively low cost. This study therefore, seek to appraise the performance of aluminium-doped tin oxide (ATO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) as sustainable alternatives to ITO with focus on spin-coated thin film.

Keywords

• Sol-gel,spin coating,transparent conducting oxide,transmittance,electrical conductivity,thinfilms

References

1. [1] A. Smith, J.M. Laurent, D.S. Smith, J.P. Bonnet, and R.R. Clemente, “Relation between solution chemistry and morphology of SnO2-based thin films deposited by a pyrosol process”, Thin Solid Films, 266, 1995.
2. [2] E. Arca, K. Fleischer, I.V. Shvets, “An alternative fluorine precursor for the synthesis of SnO2:F by spray pyrolysis” Thin Solid Films, 520, 2012.
3. [3] V. De La Garza-Guadarrama, A. Sanchez-Juarez, A. Tiburcio-Silver, and A. Ortiz “Growth and characterization of SnOx:F thin films prepared by pyrolysis of SnCl2” Journal of Material Science Letters, 20, 2001.
4. [4] Y. Gao, H. Niu, C. Zeng, and Q. Chen, “Preparation and characterization of single-crystalline bismuth nanowires by a low-temperature solvothermal process” Chemical Physics Letters, Vol. 367, 2003.
5. [5] C.G. Granqvist, “Transparent Conductors as Solar Energy Materials: A Panoramic Review” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 91, 1529-1598, 2007.
6. [6] Y.Z. Dawood, M.H. Hassoni, M.S. Mohamad, “Effect of Solution Concentration on Some Optical Properties of Indium Oxide Doped with SnO2 Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Spray Pyrolysis Technique, International Journal of Pure and Applied Physics Vol.2, No.1, 2014.
7. [7] T. Shimogaki, M. Takahashi, M. Yamasaki, T. Fukuda, M. Higashihata, H. Ikenoue, D. Nakamura, and T. Okada, “Catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanowires on various-oriented sapphire substrates by pulsed-laser deposition”, Journal of Semiconductors, Vol. 37, No.2, 2016.
8. [8] H.T. Yoon, B.K. Ki, G.P. Hyoung, H.L. Kwang, and R.L. Jong, “Criteria for ITO (indium–tin-oxide) thin film as the bottom electrode of an organic light emitting diode”, Thin Solid Films 411, 2002.

9. [9] M.K.M. Ali, K. Ibrahim, S.H. Osama, M.H. Eisa, M.G. Faraj, and F. Azhari, “Deposited Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Thin films by DC magnetron sputtering on polyethylene terephthalate substrate (PET)”, Rom. Journal Physics, 56, 2011.
10. [10] S.M. Chang, G.H. Jeon “Low temperature synthesis of ITO thin film on polymer in Ar/H2 plasma by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering”, Thin Solid Films 516, 6560 – 6564, 2008.
11. [11] N.G. Pate, P.D. Pate, V.S. Vaishnav, “Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film gas sensor for detection of methanol at room temperature”, Sensors and Actuators B 96, 2003.
12. [12] K. Daoudi, B. Canut, M.G. Blanchin, C.S. Sandu, V.S. Teodorescu, and J.A. Roger, “Tin-doped indium oxide thin films deposited by sol–gel dip-coating technique”, Materials Science and Engineering C 2, 2002.
13. [13] H. Mokhtar, G. Faouzi, E. Lassaad, “Characterization of ITO Thin Films Prepared by Sol-gel Spin-Coating Technique”, Sensors & Transducers, Vol. 27, Special Issue, 2014.
14. [14] T.F. Stoica, T.A. Stoica, M. Zaharescua, M. Popescu, F. Sava, N. Popescu-Pogrion, and L. Frunza, “Characterization of ITO Thin Films Prepared by Spinning Deposition Starting from a Sol-Gel Process”, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 2, No. 5, 2000.
15. [15] R. Adnan, N.A. Razana, I. Ab Rahman, and M.A. Farrukh, “Synthesis and Characterization of High Surface Area Tin Oxide Nanoparticles via the Sol-Gel Method as a Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Styrene”, Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society, Vol. 57, 222-229, 2010.
16. [16] P.K. Manoj, B. Joseph, V.K. Vaidyan, and DSD Amma, “Preparation and characterization of indium-doped tin oxide thin films”, Ceramics International, Vol. 33, 273-278, 2007.
17. [17] R.B. Tahar, T. Ban, Y. Ohya, and Y. Takahashi, “Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Thin Films: Electrical Properties”, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 83, No. 5, 1998.
18. [18] A.R. Forouhi, G. Li, I. Bloomer, “Optical characterization of ITO films used in flat panel displays” Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 1996.
19. [19] V. Singh, C.K. Suman, S. Kumar, “Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) films on flexible substrates for organic light emitting diodes”, Proceedings of SPIE - The Asian Symposium on Information Display (ASID), 2006.
20. [20] Y. Cheng, P. Xiong, L. Fields, J.P. Zheng, R.S. Yang, and Z.L. Wang, “Intrinsic characteristics of semiconducting oxide nanobelt field-effect transistors”, Applied Physics Letters, 89, 09:3114, 2006.
21. [21] T.O.L. Sunde, M. Einarsrud, T. Grande, “Optimization of chemical solution deposition of Indium Tin Oxide thin films”, Thin Solid Films, 573, 2014.
22. [22] GRA Kumara, CSK Ranasinghe, EN Jayaweera, HMN Bandara, M. Okuya, and RMG Rajapakse, “Preparation of Fluoride-doped Tin Oxide Films on Soda-lime Glass Substrates by Atomized Spray Pyrolysis Technique and their Subsequent Use in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells”, Journal of Physical Chemistry, C118: 16 479-16 485, 2014.
23. [23] S.H. Brewer, S. Franzen, “Optical Properties of Indium Tin Oxide and Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Surfaces: Correlation of Reflectivity, Skin Depth, and Plasmon Frequency with Conductivity”, Journal of Alloys and Compounds 338, 2002.
24. [24] S. Wu, S. Yuan, L. Shi, Y. Zhao, and J. Fang, “Preparation, characterization and electrical properties of fluorine-doped tin dioxide nanocrystals”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 346: 12–16, 2010.
25. [25] S. Salam, M. Islam, A. Akram “Sol–gel synthesis of intrinsic and aluminium-doped zinc oxide thin films as transparent conducting oxides for thin film solar cells”, Thin Solid Films 529, 242, 2013.
26. [26] A.N. Banerjee, S. Kundoo, P. Saha, and K.K. Chattopadhyay “Synthesis and Characterization of Nano-Crystalline Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Thin Films by Sol-Gel Method”, Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, 28, 1:105-110, 2003.
27. [27] Mohammad-Mehdi, Bagheri-Mohagheghi, M. Shokooh-Saremi, “The influence of Al doping on the electrical, optical and structural properties of SnO2 transparent conducting films deposited by the spray pyrolysis technique”, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 37:1248, 2004.
28. [28] K.L. Chopra, Thin Film Phenomena, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969.
29. [29] L. Znaidi, “Sol–gel-deposited ZnO thin films: A review”, Materials Science and Engineering: B, 174, Issue 1-3, 1830, 2010.
30. [30] N. S. Subramanian, S. Ramamurthy, M. Jayachandran, “Effect of heat treatment temperature on the spin coated fluorine doped tin oxide thin films for solar cell applications”, unpublished.
31. [31] M.S. Kim, K.G. Yim, Son Jeong-Sik, and Leem Jae-Young, “Effects of Al Concentration on Structural and Optical Properties of Al-doped ZnO Thin Films”, Structural and Optical Properties of AZO Thin Films Bulletin, Korean Chemical Society. Vol. 33, No. 4:1235, 2012.
32. [32] M. Jafan, Moradi-Haji, MR Zamani-Meymian, R. Rahimi, and M. Rabbani, “The effect of solvents and the thickness on structural, optical and electrical properties of ITO thin films prepared by a sol–gel spin-coating process”, Journal of Nanostructure Chemistry 4:89, 2014.
33. [33] M.A. Yildirim, A. Ates, A. Astam, “Annealing and light effect on structural, optical and electrical properties of CuS, CuZnS and ZnS thin films grown by the SILAR method”, Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, vol. 41(8), 2009.
34. [34] M. Thirumoorthia, JTJ Prakash, “Structure, optical and electrical properties of indium tin oxide ultrathin films prepared by jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis technique”, Journal of Asian Ceramic Societies 4: 124-132, 2016.
35. [35] Sk. F. Ahmed, S. Khan, P.K. Ghosh, M.K. Mitra, and K.K. Chattopadhyay “Effect of Al doping on the conductivity type inversion and electro-optical properties of SnO2 thin films synthesized by sol-gel technique”, Journal of Sol-Gel Science Technology 39:241–247, 2006.
36. [36] L. Suganya, B. Sundaresan, G. Sankareswari, K. Ravichandran, and B. Sakthive, “Influence of incorporation of Al3+ ions on the structural, optical and AC impedance characteristics of spin coated ZnO thin films”, Journal of Material Science: Material Electronic 25:361–368, 2014.
37. [37] Chan Shih-Hao, Li Meng-Chi, Wei Hung-Sen, Chen Sheng-Hui, and Kuo Chien-Cheng, “The Effect of Annealing on Nanothick Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Films for Touch Sensors”, Journal of Nanomaterials, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2015.