Synthesis and characterization of textured Al-doped zinc oxide films prepared by template-directed deposition

Abstract

Aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were produced via template-directed deposition at 60 °C. By adding organic molecules to the deposition solution, it is possible to control the crystallite growth, and nanocrystallinity is achieved. An organic template, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), is used to direct the attachment of the crystallites on the substrate. The optical properties and the incorporation of the aluminum from solution into the ZnO films were measured using photoluminescence (PL) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The morphology of the film was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The latter revealed a preferred orientation of the crystallites in the samples where more than 15 mol% Al was added to the stock solution. For values higher than 30 mol% Al in solution, no ZnO was found at all.