Al-doped ZnO via sol-gel spin-coating as a transparent conducting thin film

A simple nonalkoxide sol-gel route for depositing an Al-doped ZnO thin film on a glass substrate was derived in this study. The initial Al dopant concentration in the sol-gel preparation varied and ranged from 0 to 5%. The sol-gel-derived thin films showed c-plane preferred crystallization of their hexagonal phase, with nanosized grain structures. First and second post-heat-treatments were carried out to improve the film's electrical resistivity. The carrier density and the Hall mobility were measured and discussed to explain the electrical resistivity. The optical transmittance within the visible range showed compatible properties, which indicates the possible use of Al-doped ZnO as a transparent electrode in flat panel displays.