Transient Behaviors of ZnO Thin Films on a Transparent, Flexible Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrate

Thickness-dependent electrical, structural, and optical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were investigated in the very thin thickness range of 20 to 120 nm. A very unusual transition phenomenon, in which electrical resistance increases with an increase in film thickness, was observed. From structural and compositional analyses, this transition behavior was explained to arise from metallic Zn agglomerates dispersed in non-crystalline Zn-O matrix. It was unveiled that film thickness more than 80 nm is required for the development of hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO. ZnO films on PET substrates exhibited high optical transmittance and good mechanical flexibility in the thickness range. The results of this study would provide a valuable guideline for the design of ZnO thin films on organic substrates for practical applications.