Engineering Performance in TCO Films for Energy Applications

Abstract

Thin film materials that exhibit both good electrical conductivity and high transparency owe this duality to careful control of the chemical state of the constituents and the attendant structure. Through manipulation of deposition conditions n- or p-type semi-conducting oxide films readily can be prepared. Such films enable the performance of energy conversion devices and promote development of architectural elements including smart energy efficient windows. This paper summarizes current TCO research trends, reviews processing approaches, and offers guidelines for engineering high performance TCO films. Also provided is a glimpse of optical engineering approaches where impedance matching and quantum mechanical tunneling offer alternative avenues to further improvement of film properties.