TCO Nanomaterial coating of Thin Film Deposited by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis
Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) thin film coatings such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Aluminum Doped Zinc Oxide (AZO), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), and Fluorine Doped Oxide (FDO) are usually deposited by using an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. This unique process requires the coating system to create specific coating thickness and morphology, spraying corrosive solutions in a high temperature environment.
In a ultrasonic spray pyrolysis process, precursor solutions such as Aluminum Zinc Oxide are uniformly atomized ultrasonic spray nozzles into micron droplets and deposited onto a substrate at around 300-500 °C. The pyrolysis reaction promptly occurs as soon as the solute touches the high temperature substrate and the ZnO crystalline film is grown on the substrate surface, e.g. soda-lime or other glass. Substrate temperature usually determine the morphology of the thin film.
Siansonic special ultrasonic spray nozzles fabricated with corrosive resistant materials are able to work with various precursor solutions which are usually highly acid corrosive including highly corrosive Hydrochloric or Hydrofluoric acid solutions. For R&D purpose, our benchtop ultrasonic coating system UC320, UC330 equipped with high temperature heating plate up to 500°C can provide the full solutions for ultrasonic spray pyrolysis.
Figure 1：Ultrasonic Atomization Comparsion Between Ultrasonic Nozzle and Air Nozzle
