Transparent conductive Tb-doped ZnO films prepared by rf reactive magnetron sputtering

Terbium-doped Zinc oxide (ZnO : Tb) films were prepared by rf reactive magnetron sputtering using a Zn target with some Tb-chips attached. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Hall measurement and optical spectroscopy, respectively. The resistivity of 9.34 × 10 − 4 Ω cm was obtained in ZnO : Tb films prepared on a Si substrate at a temperature of 250 °C with a Tb content of 4.1%. The transparent edges of the films showed blue-shifts with the average transmittance within the visible range being up to 85%. The results to date demonstrate that Tb-doped ZnO films are high-quality transparent conductive oxide materials.