Jet vapor deposition of transparent conductive ZnO:Al thin films for photovoltaic applications

A novel, proprietary, and general approach to depositing thin films and coatings, The novel Jet Vapor Deposition(TM) (JVD(TM)) process is described, in which single or multiple ''jets in low vacuum'' are coupled with ''mobile substrates'' to generate a wide range of multicomponent, multilayer and ''host-guest'' thin films and coatings. Highly transparent and conducting aluminum-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al) thin films have been deposited at room temperature on glass slide, flexible polymer and thin film PV coated substrates by the JVD(TM) process. The thin films obtained from the optimized operating conditions have an average transmittance of about 85% in the visible range and electrical resistivities of 7 to 10x10(-4) Omega-cm. Proper control of substrate bias, dopant content, deposition rate, and oxygen to metal ratio are the keys to depositing low resistivity and high transparency thin films.