Study of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Fabricated by Flow-Limited Field-Injection Electrostatic Spraying

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) and n-type semiconductor. For this study, ZnO thin films were deposited by the flow-limited field-injection electrostatic spraying (FFESS) method onto glass and onto oxidized silicon substrates. The effects of varying the substrate temperature, introducing aluminum doping, and adding a high-boiling-point solvent on the morphology and resistivity of the films were analyzed. The deposited ZnO thin films showed that as the substrate temperature was increased from 350 °C to 450 °C, the resistivity of the films decreased. Aluminum doping of 1.5 at. % Al:Zn and 3.0 at. % Al:Zn both decreased the resistivity. Addition of TEG to the liquid precursor further reduced the resistivity of the ZnO thin films. The 1.5 at. % Al-doped films deposited on glass showed a transmission greater than 80% in the visible range.unpublishednot peer reviewedU of I OnlyUndergraduate senior thesis not recommended for open acces