Low resistivity Ga-doped ZnO thin films of less than 100nm thickness prepared by ion plating with direct current arc discharge

Low resistivity Ga-doped ZnO films were prepared on a glass substrate by ion plating with direct current arc discharge. Thickness dependent changes in the electrical properties of the films are reported, focusing on the thin films of less than 100nm thickness. Structural analyses showed that the thinnest film of 30nm thickness consists of well-oriented columnar grains normal to the substrate, and the resistivity was as low as 4.4×10−4Ωcm. The changes in lattice strain and c-axis fluctuation with the growth of grains are also shown to be associated with the electrical properties.