Transparent conductive film and method for manufacturing the same

• US 7,867,636 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Seto, Hiroyuki, Kishimoto, Yutaka, Nakagawara, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shewareged; Betelhem
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reddy; Sathavaram I
• Application Number:
  US11/562,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20080050595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 428/702, 428/412, 427/109
• US Class Current: 428/702
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate

Abstract

A ZnO-based transparent conductive film is produced by growing ZnO doped with a group III element oxide on a substrate and has a region with a crystal structure in which a c-axis grows along a plurality of different directions. The transparent conductive film produced by growing ZnO doped with a group III element oxide on a substrate has a ZnO (002) rocking curve full width at half maximum of about 13.5° or more. ZnO is doped with a group III element oxide so that the ratio of the group III element oxide in the transparent conductive film is about 7% to about 40% by weight. The transparent conductive film is formed on the substrate with a SiNx thin film provided therebetween. The transparent conductive film is formed on the substrate by a thin film formation method with a bias voltage applied to the substrate.

Claims

1. A transparent conductive film comprising:

zinc oxide doped with a group III element and grown on a substrate;

wherein

the transparent conductive film has a region with a crystal structure in which c axes are oriented in a plurality of different directions; and

a zinc oxide (002) rocking curve half-width is about 13.5°

or more.

2. The transparent conductive film according to claim 1, wherein zinc oxide is a main component and a group III element oxide is included at a ratio of about 7% to about 40% by weight.

3. The transparent conductive film according to claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive film is disposed on the substrate with a SiNx thin film provided therebetween.

4. The transparent conductive film according to claim 1, wherein the substrate contains, as a main component, at least one of glass, quartz, sapphire, Si, SiC, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyether sulfone, polyimide, cycloolefin polymers, and polycarbonate.

5. The transparent conductive film according to claim 1, wherein the group III element is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ga, Al, and In.