NU 2006-018
Inventors
Jun Ni
Anchuan Wang
Yu Yang
Andrew Metz
Shu Jin
Lian Wang
Tobin J. Marks*
Short Description
New transparent conducting oxide thin films with improved features for use in optoelectronics
Abstract
Many optoelectronic devices depend on transparent conducting thin films based on tin-doped indium oxide (ITO). While ITO is the current material of choice, it has several drawbacks, such a modest conductivity, high price and a relatively low work function. Novel materials with improved characteristics that can be fashioned into thin films using a standard method, like metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are being investigated by many groups around the world. The Marks group from Northwestern University has developed a novel zinc- and tin-doped indium thin film (ZITO), which has superior performance characteristics compared to ITO films when incorporated into a polymer light-emitting diode (PLED). In addition, ZITO exhibits high conductivity and transparency. Northwestern University researchers have also solved a problem often encountered with zinc-doped thin film fabrication, so that ZITO thin films can be manufactured using MOCVD. With these favorable characteristics, it is expected that ZITO thin films will find many applications in manufacturing of solar cells, as well as other optoelectronic devices (e.g. displays, remote sensors etc).
Applications
Advantages
Publications
Ni J, Yan H, Wang A, Yang Y, Stern CL, Metz AW, Jin S, Wang L, Marks TJ, Ireland JR, Kannewurf CR (2005) MOCVD-Derived Highly Transparent, Conductive Zinc- and Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Thin Films: Precursor Synthesis, Metastable Phase Film Growth and Characterization and Application as Anodes in Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 127: 5613-5624.
IP Status
Issued US patent number 8,138,364.