Strategies and Multilayer Architectures for Decoupling Conductivity–Transparency Trade-Off

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are indispensable core materials for optoelectronic devices, yet the inherent conflict between electrical conductivity and optical transparency, along with the scarcity and brittleness of indium tin oxide (ITO), severely limits their sustainable development. This review systematically summarizes the research progress of next-generation TCOs, focusing on microstructural engineering, advanced doping strategies, and architectural innovation to decouple the conductivity–transparency trade-off. The fundamental mechanisms of carrier scattering (ionized impurity scattering, grain boundary scattering) and the mobility-centric design paradigm are elaborated. The research status of typical material systems (SnO2-based, ZnO-based, In2O3-based) is analyzed, and the mechanisms of high-valent cation doping, interstitial doping, and critical nucleation in optimizing carrier mobility are clarified. The oxide/metal/oxide (OMO) multilayer architecture is highlighted as a breakthrough strategy for synergistic optoelectronic performance. Current challenges including thermal stability, large-area fabrication, and environmental reliability are discussed, and future directions such as resonant doping, machine learning-assisted optimization, and multifunctional integration are prospected. This work provides a systematic theoretical basis and technical reference for the development of high-performance, sustainable TCOs.