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Infrared and microwave shielding of transparent Al-doped ZnO superlattice grown via atomic layer deposition

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Abstract

The system of atomic-layer Al-doped ZnO (AZO) superlattice is rather interesting in that it exhibits a “bipolar transparency,” as it is transparent in the visible and opaque in the infrared to microwave. Here, we report on our measurements of the infrared and microwave shielding properties of thin films (~150 nm) of an Al-doped ZnO superlattice grown via atomic layer deposition (ALD). These optically transparent conductive oxide thin films have large DC electrical conductivity (>50,000 S/m) which increases with Al doping. Their infrared optical properties are well described by a free-electron (Drude) model, which results from the very large carrier concentrations (>3 × 1020 cm−3) resulting from AlO x -heterolayer-doping. It is found that increasing Al concentrations lead to an increase in the relaxation energy which, however, is not strong enough to cause the plasma frequency to red-shift. Microwave shielding properties were investigated in the frequency range from 1 to 30 GHz, and shielding efficiencies as high as ~22 dB were observed, confirming that the free-electron picture extends into the microwave regime. The dynamic conductivity in the microwave range was found to correspond well to the measured DC values. Due to their high electrical conductivity and high microwave shielding efficiency in thin film format, these materials may be desirable for applications in transparent electronics, optically transparent EMI shielding coatings, and heat/microwave reflecting coatings for windows.

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Acknowledgements

This research was made possible by funding from AFOSR, AOARD, and the WCU Hybrid Materials Program of Seoul National University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    Gustavo E. Fernandes, Do-Joong Lee, Jin Ho Kim & Jimmy Xu

  2. WCU Hybrid Materials Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Korea

    Do-Joong Lee, Ki-Bum Kim & Jimmy Xu

Authors
  1. Gustavo E. Fernandes
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  2. Do-Joong Lee
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  3. Jin Ho Kim
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  4. Ki-Bum Kim
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  5. Jimmy Xu
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Correspondence to Gustavo E. Fernandes.

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Fernandes, G.E., Lee, DJ., Kim, J.H. et al. Infrared and microwave shielding of transparent Al-doped ZnO superlattice grown via atomic layer deposition. J Mater Sci 48, 2536–2542 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-012-7043-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-012-7043-5

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