Solvothermal synthesis of indium-doped zinc oxide TCO films

This paper outlines the preparation of indium-doped zinc oxide films via solvothermal synthesis of nanoparticles, followed by spin coating of the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. The effect of stabilizer type and its concentration on the suspension stability was studied. The influence of the In/Zn molar ratio (in the 0–0.06 range) on the lattice parameters and the cell volume was determined by XRD analysis. A linear change in these parameters was found, indicating a uniform integration of the indium into the ZnO crystal. Thermal analysis using TGA/DTA pointed to the optimal thermal treatment of the TCO layers at 500 °C. In addition, the effect of the molar ratio on the optical and electrical properties was studied. A minimal sheet resistance of <46 ohm/square and optical transparency of >85 % at In/Zn = 0.04 were achieved. The above findings indicate that the solvothermal route can be very effective in the synthesis of state-of-the-art TCO coatings.