Al-doped ZnO films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in r.f. mode with a single cathode and m.f. mode with dual cathodes

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates at 300 °C by reactive mid-frequency (m.f.) magnetron sputtering using dual magnetron sputtering (DMS) system using twin aluminum-zinc alloy targets. Plasma emission monitoring (PEM) control unit was used for stable depositions in "transition region" where deposition rate varied abruptly with the change in reactive gas flow. The deposition rate to obtain transparent conductive AZO films with resistivity of 3.9 x 10(exp -4) ohm cm by the DMS system was 290 nm/min, which was about one order of magnitude higher than the one by a conventional rf reactive magnetron sputtering