Characterizing the electrical and optical properties of AZO/AgPd/AZO multilayer film using RF magnetron sputtering

In this study, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was used to investigate the effects of process parameters on the electrical and optical properties of AZO(ZnO:Al) and AgPd multilayer films on type 1737F Corning glass. Experiments were performed using RF power and working pressure as variable parameters. The best transmittance (90%) and lowest resistivity (8.28 ×10^-4 Ωcm) were obtained from multilayer films of AZO/AgPd/AZO, in which the AgPd was deposited using RF power of 150 W without substrate heating to thicknesses of AZO(50 nm)/AgPd(5 nm)/AZO(50 nm). An increase in working pressure led to an increase in resistivity and a decrease in transmittance, due to an increase in the number of defects in the AgPd layer, which produced a discontinuous interface between the AgPd and AZO. The relationship between transmittance/resistance and RF power is non-linear. The inner AgPd metal layer largely determines the optical quality and electrical resistivity of AZO/AgPd/AZO multilayer films.