ABSTRACT
Gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) is emerging in importance as a material for thin-film electrode (TE) applications in such devices as electroluminescent panels [1], flat panel displays and photovoltaics [2].ZnO:Ga was originally proposed as an alternative material to indium tin oxide (In2O3Sn, ITO) [3], the most widely used TE for optoelectronic devices. To replace ITO, a new TE must be more stable under highly reactive environments such as hydrogen radical bombardment (H plasmas), which are commonly employed during the fabrication of solar cells [3]. The required properties for a high quality, transparent electrode are low sheet resistance (< 20 Ω/sq.) and high transmittance (> 80%) of visible light. ITO is currently used in optoelectronic applications but the relatively high absorption in the blue-green spectral region represents a significant technological disadvantage for the development of high efficiency, full color, flat panel displays.
