Effect of a Discontinuous Ag Layer on Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnO/Ag/ZnOStructures

ZnO/Ag/ZnO nanolaminate structures were deposited by consecutive RF sputtering at room temperature.The optical transparency, sheet resistance, and figure of merit are determined in relation to the deposition time Ag film thickness ZnO top layer. An improved transmittance has been found visible spectral range structure compared multilayers without Ag. High 98% 550 nm, resistance 8 Ω/sq, (FOM) 111.01 × 10−3 Ω−1are achieved for an optimized structure. It is suggested that good electrical properties due discontinuous The metallic type conductivity caused planar located silver metal granules. a discrete layer nano-granules confirmed atomic force microscopy (AFM) cross-section high-resolution transmission electron (HRTEM) observations.