Introduction of metal dopants and/or Ag nanoparticles into direct-patternable ZnO thin films formed by photochemical solution deposition

The introduction of metal dopants and nanoparticles into ZnO films influences film conductivity and transparency but the effects of dopants and nanoparticles are not always predictable. The incorporation of Ag nanoparticles into a ZnO film enhanced film conductivity. Less than 1% donor-doping into the ZnO film induced a decrease in film resistance when using both interstitial and substitutional metal-dopants. When a metal-dopant and Ag nanoparticles were introduced into ZnO film simultaneously, the Ag nanoparticles acted as an electron scattering center in the case of Ag or Cd doped ZnO films (interstitially doped). A decrease in the sheet resistance was observed in the case of in or Sn doped ZnO films (substitutionally doped). The transmittance tended to decrease with the incorporation of Ag nanoparticles. This was caused by light absorption from the surface plasmon resonance of the Ag nanoparticles in the film.