Journal of Inorganic Materials

   

Preparation and Performance Optimization of Boron-Gallium Co-doped Zinc Oxide Transparent Electrodes

JIANG Shengnan1,2, ZHENG Zhong3, HE Weiyi1,2, LIU Tao1,4, PAN Xiuhong1, CHEN Kun1, GUO Hui3, GAO Pan5, LIU Chunjun6, LIU Xuechao1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Functional Crystals and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China;
    2. College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3. School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an 710071, China;
    4. School of Microelectronics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China;
    5. School of Materials, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai 201306, China;
    6. Tankeblue Semiconductor Co.,Ltd, Beijing 102629, China
  • Received:2025-06-29 Revised:2025-07-18
  • Contact: LIU Xuechao, professor. E-mail: xcliu@mail.sic.ac.cn
  • About author:JIANG Shengnan (2001-), male, Master candidate. E-mail: jiangshengnan23@mails.ucas.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA0716304); The Space Application System of China Manned Space Program (KJZ-YY-NCL403, KJZ-YY-NCL406, KJZ-YY-NCL01)

Abstract: Silicon carbide (SiC) photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) are optoelectronic devices that utilize ultrafast pulsed lasers to modulate semiconductor resistivity for switching operations, demonstrating broad application prospects in pulsed power systems, Dielectric Wall Accelerator and ultrafast electronics. Transparent conductive oxide films exhibit significant potential for optoelectronic transparent electrodes due to their excellent optical transparency and electrical conductivity. In this study, boron-gallium co-doped zinc oxide (BGZO) thin films were prepared by magnetron sputtering, and the effects of annealing temperature (300-600 ℃) on their structural and electrical properties were systematically investigated. XRD and Hall effect measurements revealed that films annealed at 400 ℃ exhibited optimal crystallinity and electrical performance, achieving a visible-light transmittance of 93% and a resistivity as low as 2.78 × 10⁻² Ω·cm. As a practical demonstration, the optimized BGZO films were integrated as transparent electrodes into SiC PCSS devices. Comparative experiments showed that under 532 nm, 170 mJ pulsed laser excitation, the BGZO-based devices exhibited more stable operation than conventional Ni-based electrodes, with reduced filamentary current damage at the SiC-electrode interface and improved electric field uniformity at the electrode edges. This study provides an optimized fabrication strategy for high-performance transparent conductive films and confirms their advantages in photoconductive switch applications.

Key words: boron-gallium co-doped zinc oxide, transparent electrodes, silicon carbide, photoconductive switch

CLC Number: