US2011174361A1PendingUtilityA1

Transparent conductive layer and transparent electrode comprising the same

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Assignee: BANG JUNG-SIKPriority: Sep 30, 2008Filed: Sep 25, 2009Published: Jul 21, 2011
Est. expirySep 30, 2028(~2.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jung-Sik BangHyeon-Woo JangJin Hyong Lim
H10P 14/3426C23C 14/34Y10T428/24355Y02E10/50H10F 77/707H10F 77/251H10F 77/244H10F 10/00H10F 71/138H01B 1/16
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Claims

Abstract

Disclosed are a transparent conductive layer and a transparent electrode comprising the same, and in particular, a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface, wherein the textured surface has protrusions, each protrusion having a ridge forming an arc in its protruding direction, or having an apex at an edge thereof such that two ridges forms an obtuse angle of 90° or more. The transparent conductive layer is manufactured by sputtering only without wet etching.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface,
 wherein the textured surface has protrusions, each protrusion having a ridge forming an arc in its protruding direction, or having an apex at an edge thereof such that two ridges forms an obtuse angle of 90° or more.   
     
     
         2 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an X-ray diffraction image of the conductive layer having the textured surface has only a (002) peak.   
     
     
         3 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protrusion of the textured surface has a diagonal length of 200 to 600 nm in a base thereof and a height of 30 to 250 nm.   
     
     
         4 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the conductive layer has at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 13 elements in the periodic table and transition metals having an oxidation number of +3, as a dopant.   
     
     
         5 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the conductive layer has at least one element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium, boron and silicon, as a dopant.   
     
     
         6 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein a dopant content in the conductive layer is 4 wt % or less.   
     
     
         7 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the case that gallium is solely used as a dopant, a gallium content in the conductive layer is less than 3 wt %.   
     
     
         8 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the case that aluminum is solely used as a dopant, an aluminum content in the conductive layer is 1 wt % or less   
     
     
         9 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the case that boron is solely used as a dopant, a boron content in the conductive layer is 1 wt % or less.   
     
     
         10 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein, in the case that gallium and aluminum are used as a dopant, an aluminum content in the conductive layer is 0.5 wt % or less and a gallium content is 1.0 wt % or less.   
     
     
         11 . The zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer having a textured surface according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the conductive layer has a thickness of 100 to 500 nm.   
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer, comprising:
 sputtering a zinc oxide target having a dopant content of 0 to 4 wt % in the presence of a mixed gas of argon and hydrogen under conditions of pressure of 1 to 30 mTorr and temperature of 100 to 500° C.   
     
     
         13 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the dopant is at least one element selected from the group consisting of group 13 elements in the periodic table and transition metals having an oxidation number of +3.   
     
     
         14 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the dopant is at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium, boron and silicon.   
     
     
         15 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in the case that gallium is solely used as a dopant, a gallium content in the conductive layer is less than 3 wt %.   
     
     
         16 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in the case that aluminum is solely used as a dopant, an aluminum content in the conductive layer is 1 wt % or less.   
     
     
         17 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in the case that boron is solely used as a dopant, a boron content in the conductive layer is 1 wt % or less.   
     
     
         18 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein, in the case that gallium and aluminum are used as a dopant, an aluminum content in the conductive layer is 0.5 wt % or less and a gallium content is 1.0 wt % or less.   
     
     
         19 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein H 2 O is further introduced during the sputtering process.   
     
     
         20 . The method for manufacturing a zinc oxide-based transparent conductive layer according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the content of the hydrogen gas is 1 to 30 vol % relative to the entire gas.   
     
     
         21 . A zinc oxide-based transparent electrode, comprising:
 a substrate; and   a transparent conductive layer defined in  claim 1 , formed on the substrate.   
     
     
         22 . The zinc oxide-based transparent electrode according to  claim 21 ,
 wherein the substrate is a glass substrate, a plastic substrate or an oxide deposited substrate, and has transmittance.   
     
     
         23 . A solar cell comprising a transparent electrode defined in  claim 22 .

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