Influences of preferred orientation growth on electrical properties of ZnO:Al films by sol–gel method

Using different precursor preparation, heating methods, and initial layers, this work investigated the relation between the micro-structural and electrical properties of ZnO:Al (AZO) films prepared by sol–gel method on glass and silicon substrates. It was found that adding monoethanolamine (MEA), using initial layers, or an intentionally produced steep temperature gradient obviously promoted film growth along the (002) direction. However, the carrier mobility rose only a little while the carrier concentration was not affected or even reduced. Generally speaking, the film conductivity was not evidently improved. It could be concluded that all three methods are advantageous for enhancing the crystallographic quality and therefore the mobility of the AZO films, but the major reason for the poor conductivity of the sol–gel derived ZnO films was the low activation of the dopant, which is the key factor for further improvements and should be solved first.