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Control of Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnO Films for Photovoltaic Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Ralf Hunger
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Kakuya Iwata
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Paul Fons
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Akimasa Yamada
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Koji Matsubara
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Shigeru Niki
Affiliation:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Energy Electronics Institute, Thin Film Solar Cells Group, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
Ken Nakahara
Affiliation:
ROHM Co Ltd., Optical Device R&D Divison, Kyoto, Japan
Hidemi Takasu
Affiliation:
ROHM Co Ltd., Optical Device R&D Divison, Kyoto, Japan
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Abstract

ZnO films were grown by radical-source molecular beam epitaxy (RS-MBE) on sapphire and glass substrates, and they were characterized in terms of Hall mobility and optical transmission. Undoped ZnO films exhibit a low intrinsic defect density and optical properties close to bulk ZnO. By Ga doping, a resistance ρ as low as 2×10−4 Ωcm could be achieved. Balancing high conductivity and low transmission losses due to free carrier absorption in the infrared, the optimum was obtained for ρ=3.4×10−4Ωcm, electron mobility μe=37 cm2/Vs and an average transmission T of 96% in the wavelength range 400-1100 nm. Polycrystalline growth on glass yields slightly reduced but still good film quality (μe=30 cm2/Vs, T=90%). By the incorporation of Mg, conducting Mg0.3Zn0.7O films with an increased band gap up to ∼ 4eV were realized.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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References

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