Transparent electrodes based on ultra-thin dielectric-metal-dielectric multilayer structures

Transparent electrodes are necessary in optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, liquid-crystal displays, solid-state lasers, solar cells, etc. Dielectric-metal-dielectric structures composed of ultra-thin layers can accomplish the requirements for high transparency along with low sheet resistance. Particularly, transition-metal-oxides will be used because they recently demonstrated their potential as hole-selective contacts in novel semiconductor devices. The conductivity of these electrodes will be provided by ultra-thin metalic layers.Photonics has been the focus of an increasing ammount of resarch resources and founding since technological demands of solutions to complex problems can be solved within its scope. In this paper we will specifically focus on the demand of Transparent Conductive Materials in an specific field of photonics (i.e. opto-electronics). Particularly, we are going to fabricate and caracterize thin film stacks called DMD (i.e. Dielectric Metal Dielectric), and using simulations as a guide we will integrate this materials inside electronic devices (i.e. Silicon solar cells). The devices will use a combination Transition Metal Oxides (e.g. V2O5, MoO3) for the dielectric layers, and soft metals (Ag, Au, Al) deposited either by thermal Evaporation or Sputtering. Several ideas regarding the coalescence thickness of metallic thin films, which represents a limiting factors of this technology are tested in this work, achieving an enhancement of optical and electrical propertie