Effect of sputter power on red-shifted optoelectronic properties in magnetron sputtered Ag/ZnO thin films

This study explores Ag/ZnO thin films on glass (Corning 0211) substrates, which were deposited using dc/rf magnetron reactive sputtering at varying Ag-sputter powers. The impact of Ag-sputter power on physical properties, such as structural, surface, compositional, optical, and electrical properties, is systematically explored. Grazing angle x-ray diffraction affirms a single-phase hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure in all films, predominantly oriented along (002) normal to the substrate. Thin films deposited at 90 W Ag-sputter power exhibit superior structural and morphological properties, including greatest crystallite and grain size, minimum stress, and roughness. Electrical studies indicate that the material exhibits a semiconducting nature, with its electrical resistivity decreasing to a minimum of 0.8 Ω cm at 95 W. At this level of Ag sputter power, the films demonstrate low resistivity, high mobility (0.49 cm²/V s), a charge carrier concentration of 9.6 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³, and an optical transmittance of 79%, along with an optical band gap energy (Eg) of 3.06 eV. This underscores the influence of Ag sputter power in tailoring Ag/ZnO thin films for optoelectronic applications.