Influence of Ag Layer Thickness on the Properties of ZnO/Ag/ZnO Films

ZnO(60nm)/Ag/ZnO(60nm) multilayer films with different Ag thicknesses were prepared by alternate RF magnetron sputtering of ZnO and DC magnetron sputtering of Ag.The structural,optical,and electrical properties of samples were studied with an X-ray diffractometer,a UV-vis spectrophotometer,and a four-point probe,respectively.The results indicate that increasing the thickness of the Ag layer enhances the polycrystalline structure of the ZnO(60nm)/Ag/ZnO(60nm) and the intensity of the Ag (111) peak.When the thickness of the Ag film is 11nm,the ZnO(60nm)/Ag/ZnO(60nm) film has a high optical transmittance of 92.3% at 554nm.As the thickness of the Ag film increases,red shift and broadening effects of the characteristic absorption peak of Ag occur,and the sheet resistance of the multilayer film decreases and then levels off to a steady value.