Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Structural and thermoelectric properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films grown by chemical and physical methods

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films have become technologically important materials due to their application potential for thermoelectric devices. In this paper, AZO thin films are deposited on the glass substrates using the solution derived by sol–gel route for dip-coating cycles and the radio-frequency sputtering process. The crystalline structure of two types of AZO films is characterized by X-ray diffraction exhibiting the typical hexagonal wurzite structure of ZnO. The rough surface of the heat treated films are observed by the SEM image. The average grain size of obtained films is evaluated based on these investigations showing they are consistent with each other. The sheet resistivity and Seebeck coefficient are measured between room temperature and 400 °C and used to determine the electrical conductivity and power factor of all films. The obtained results provide the advantages and disadvantages of the prepared films by each method for aiming at thermoelectrical applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. D.M. Rowe, Handbook of Thermoelectrics—Macro to Nano (CRC/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  2. H. Julian Goldsmid, Introduction to Thermoelectricity, e-ISBN 978-3-642-00716-3, (Springer, Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York, 2010)

  3. L. Li, L. Fang, X.J. Zhou, Z.Y. Liu, L. Zhao, S. Jiang, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study and thermoelectric properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films. J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 173, 7–11 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. M. Ruoho, V. Pale, M. Erdmanis, I. Tittonen, Influence of aluminium doping on thermoelectric performance of atomic layer deposited ZnO thin films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 203903 (2013). doi:10.1063/1.4831980

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. M.H. Hong, C.S. Park, W.S. Seo, Y.S. Lim, J.K. Lee, H.H. Park, Thermoelectric properties of Al-doped mesoporous ZnO thin films. J. Nanomater. 2013, 1 (2013). doi:10.1155/2013/131537

    Google Scholar 

  6. A.I. Abutaha, S.R. Sarath Kumar, H.N. Alshareef, Crystal orientation dependent thermoelectric properties of highly oriented aluminum-doped zinc oxide thin films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 102(5), 053507 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Z. H. Zheng, P. Fan, G. X. Liang, P. J. Liu, P. J. Cao, D. P. Zhang, Z. K. Cai1, X. Ou, C. Y. Lai, Thermoelectric Properties of Al Doped ZnO Thin Films, in Materials Science Forum, vol. 743–744 (Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland, 2013), pp. 138–143

  8. P. Fan, Y.-Z. Li, Z.-H. Zhenga, Q.-Y. Lin, J.-T. Luo, G.-X. Liang, M.-Q. Zhang, M.-C. Chen, Thermoelectric properties optimization of Al-doped ZnO thin films prepared by reactive sputtering Zn–Al alloy target. Appl. Surf. Sci. 284, 145–149 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J. Loureiro, N. Neves, R. Barros, T. Mateus, R. Santos, S. Filonovich, S. Reparaz, C.M. Sotomayor-Torres, F. Wyczisk, L. Divay, R. Martins, I. Ferreira, Transparent aluminium zinc oxide thin films with enhanced thermoelectric properties. J. Mater. Chem. A 2, 6649–6655 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S. Saini, P. Mele, H. Honda, K. Matsumoto, K. Miyazaki, A. Ichinose, Thermoelectric properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films. J. Electron. Mater. 43(6), 2145–2150 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. P. Mele, S. Saini, H. Honda, K. Matsumoto, K. Miyazaki et al., Effect of substrate on thermoelectric properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 253903 (2013). doi:10.1063/1.4812401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. G.G. Valle, P. Hammer, S.H. Pulcinelli, C.V. Santilli, Transparent and conductive ZnO: Al thin films prepared by sol-gel dip-coating. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 24, 1009–1013 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. H.-M. Zhou, D.-Q. Yi, Z.-M. Yu, L.-R. Xiao, J. Li, Preparation of aluminum doped zinc oxide films and the study of their microstructure, electrical and optical properties. Thin Solid Films 515, 6909–6914 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. T. Kemmitt, B. Ingham, R. Linklater, Optimization of SolGel-formed ZnO: Al processing parameters by observation of dopant Ion location using solid-state Al NMR spectrometry. J. Phys. Chem. C 115, 15031–15039 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. M.-C. Jun, S.-U. Park, J.-H. Koh, Comparative studies of Al-doped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO transparent conducting oxide thin films. Nanoscale res. lett. 7, 639 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M.F. Malek, M.H. Mamat, Z. Khusaimi, M.Z. Sahdan, M.Z. Musa, A.R. Zainun, A.B. Suriani, N.D. Md Sin, S.B. Abd Hamid, M. Rusop, Sonicated sol–gel preparation of nanoparticulate ZnO thin films with various deposition speeds: the highly preferred c-axis (002) orientation enhances the final properties. J. Alloy. Compd. 582, 12–21 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. E. Mokaripoor, M.-M. Bagheri-Mohagheghi, Effect of very low to high Sb-doping on the structural, electrical, photo-conductive and thermoelectric properties of fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO) thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis technique. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. (2015). doi:10.1007/s10854-015-4026-8

    Google Scholar 

  18. M. Adelifard, R. Torkamani, Influence of growth temperature and silver to sulfur molar ratios on optical, electrical and thermoelectrical properties of nanostructured Ag2S thin films. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. (2015). doi:10.1007/s10854-015-3392-6

    Google Scholar 

  19. P. Fan, Y. Zhang, Z.-H. Zheng, W.-F. Fan, J.-T. Luo, G.-X. Liang, D.-P. Zhang, Thermoelectric properties of cobalt antimony thin films deposited on flexible substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. J. Electron. Mater. 44(2), 630–635 (2015). doi:10.1007/s11664-014-3546-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Vietnam’s National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) grant funded by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) under Grant Number 103.02-2013.52.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering Physics, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet Rd., Hanoi, Vietnam

    Thong Quang Trinh

  2. Institute of Applied Physics and Scientific Instruments, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Rd., Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tinh Trong Nguyen

  3. Faculty of Chemistry, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Rd., Hanoi, Vietnam

    Doanh Viet Vu & Dang Hai Le

Authors
  1. Thong Quang Trinh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tinh Trong Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Doanh Viet Vu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dang Hai Le
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thong Quang Trinh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Trinh, T.Q., Nguyen, T.T., Vu, D.V. et al. Structural and thermoelectric properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films grown by chemical and physical methods. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 236–240 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5516-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5516-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation