AZO Thin Films by Sol-Gel Process for Integrated Optics
Open Access
- 3 July 2013
- Vol. 3 (3), 126-139
- https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings3030126
Abstract
Undoped and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films are prepared by the sol-gel process. Zinc acetate dihydrate, ethanol, and monoethanolamine are used as precursor, solvent, and stabilizer, respectively. In the case of AZO, aluminum nitrate nonahydrate is added to the precursor solution with an atomic percentage equal to 1 and 2 at.% Al. The multi thin layers are deposited by spin-coating onto glass substrates, and are transformed into ZnO upon annealing at 550 °C. Films display a strong preferential orientation, with high values for the Texture Coefficients (TC) of the (002) direction (TC(002) ≈ 3). The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the thin films as a function of aluminum content have been investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). Waveguiding properties of the thin films have been also studied using m-lines spectroscopy. The results indicate that the films are monomodes at 632.8 nm with optical propagation optical losses estimated around 1.6 decibel per cm (dB/cm).Keywords
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sol–gel derived hydrogen annealed ZnO:Al films for silicon solar cell applicationSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2012
- Structural and optical properties of copper doped ZnO films derived by sol–gelApplied Surface Science, 2012
- Synthesis of nanostructured Al-doped zinc oxide films on Si for solar cells applicationsSolar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009
- Nanostructured zinc oxide films synthesized by successive chemical solution deposition for gas sensor applicationsMaterials Research Bulletin, 2009
- ZnO – nanostructures, defects, and devicesMaterials Today, 2007
- A comprehensive review of ZnO materials and devicesJournal of Applied Physics, 2005
- Oriented ZnO thin films synthesis by sol–gel process for laser applicationThin Solid Films, 2003
- Optical, electrical and structural properties of sol gel ZnO:Al coatingsThin Solid Films, 1999
- Numerical solution of the mode-equation of planar dielectric waveguides to determine their refractive index and thickness by means of a prism-film couplerOptics Communications, 1973
- Loss Measurements in Thin-Film Optical WaveguidesApplied Optics, 1973