This study investigates the dependence of Ag resistivity on film thickness during temperature ramping as a means to access thermal stability. In situ van der Pauw four-point probe analysis is used to determine the onset temperature; the temperature when the electrical resistivity deviates from linearity during the temperature ramp. At that point, the silver thin films become unstable due to void formation and growth during thermal annealing. The thermal stability of Ag thin films on SiO2 in a vacuum is greatest when thicknesses are greater than 85 nm. Using an Arrhenius relation in terms of onset temperature and film thickness, an activation energy (0.32±0.02 eV) for the onset of agglomeration in Ag thin films on SiO2 ramped at a rate of 0.1 °C/s is determined. This value is consistent with the activation energy for surface diffusion of silver in a vacuum, which is believed to be the dominant mechanism for agglomeration of silver thin film.
The effects of an embedded silver layer on the electrical and optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO)/silver (Ag)/zinc oxide (ZnO) layered composite structures on polymer substrates have been investigated. We have engineered transparent conducting oxide structures with greatly improved conductivity. Optical and electrical properties are correlated with Ag thickness. Film thicknesses were determined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Hall effect, four-point probe, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer analyses were used to characterize electrical and optical properties. The results show that carrier concentration, mobility, and conductivity increase with Ag thickness. Increasing Ag thickness from 8to14nm enhances sheet resistance and resistivity by six orders of magnitude. The optical transmittance of the composite structure decreases when compared to a single ZnO layer of comparable thickness. However, a composite with 12nm of Ag provides conductivity and transmittance values that are acceptable for optoelectronic devices. We describe of the influence of Ag thickness on electrical and optical properties of the ZnO∕Ag∕ZnO composite and propose a conduction mechanism for this system.
Flexible indium zinc oxide/Ag/indium zinc oxide multilayer electrode grown on polyethersulfone substrate by costefficient roll-to-roll sputtering for flexible organic photovoltaics Electrical, optical, and structural properties of indium-tin-oxide thin films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate substrates by rf sputtering
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