Fabrication of chemically stable hydrogen- and niobium-codoped ZnO transparent conductive films

H- and Nb-doped ZnO (HNZO) thin films were fabricated on glass substrates with radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of the flow rate of H₂ has been investigated by analyzing the structural, optical, and electrical properties. The incorporation of H during the deposition of Nb-incorporated ZnO films significantly improved their crystallinity, conductivity, and transmittance. The crystallites of the HNZO films were preferentially oriented in the c-axis direction; the films possess high transmittance (approximately 85%) in the visible and near-infrared regions (400 to 1400 nm). The lowest room-temperature resistivity of the HNZO films was measured as 1.28 × 10^-3 Ω cm. Such optical and electrical properties along with the remarkable chemical stability of the HNZO films make them a promising candidate for applications in solar cells.