Transparent conductive Nd-doped ZnO thin films

Transparent Nd-doped ZnO films with thickness in the range of 70 to 250 nm were grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) on c-cut sapphire substrates at various oxygen pressures and substrate temperatures. A wide range of optical and electrical properties of the films were obtained and correlated to the composition and crystalline structure. The Nd-doped ZnO films are smooth, dense, and display the wurtzite phase. Different epitaxial relationships between films and substrate as a function of growth pressure and substrate temperature were evidenced by asymmetric x-ray diffraction measurements. By varying PLD growth conditions, the films can be tuned to have either metallic or semiconductor characteristics, with good optical transmittance in the visible range. Moreover, a low-temperature metal-insulator transition may be observed in Nd-doped ZnO films grown under low oxygen pressure. Resistivities as low as 6 × 10−4 Ω cm and 90% optical transmittance in the visible range and different near-infrared transmittance are obtained with approximately 1.0-1.5 at.% Nd doping and growth temperature of approximately 500 °C.