A Study of ZnO Buffer Layer Effect on Physical Properties of ITO Thin Films Deposited on Different Substrates

Abstract

<em>The improvement of the physical properties of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) layers is quite advantageous in photovoltaic applications. In this study the ITO film is deposited by RF sputtering onto p-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) with (100) orientation, multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si), and glass substrates coated with ZnO and annealed in vacuum furnace at 400°C. Electrical, optical, structural and morphological properties of the ITO films were analyzed by four point probe, UV/VIS/IR spectrophotometer, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).</em> <em>The quality of films deposited on buffer layer is found to be superior to those grown directly on a substrate. </em><em>The structural, optical and electrical studies reveal that ZnO buffer layers improve the crystalline quality, optical and electrical properties of ITO thin films.</em>