Data for: Ag cluster beam deposition for TCO/Ag/TCO multilayer
Description
In this data, we report an important progress on the route towards resistant flexible transparent conductive materials suitable for next generation solar cells. We employ Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD) to synthesize AZO/Ag Nano-Particles/AZO multilayers (AZO/AgNPs/AZO), and compare the optical, electrical and mechanical responses to those of a sputter grown multilayer device (AZO/Ag/AZO). The results show that, in comparison with AZO/Ag/AZO, the nanogranular interlayer of the AZO/AgNPs/AZO leads to higher transparency, comparable electrical resistance with a much higher reliability and stability under externally applied mechanical stresses. Our results open the way to the application of nanogranular layers to photovoltaic devices, establishing a first milestone for engineering the device properties in a markedly different way from the well-known thermal, magnetron sputtering synthesis.