Rapid thermal annealing of sputter-deposited ZnO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films with and without an amorphous silicon (a-Si) capping layer was investigated using a radio-frequency (rf) argon thermal plasma jet at atmospheric pressure. The resistivity of bare ZnO films on glass decreased drastically from 10(6) to 10(3) Omega.cm at maximum surface temperatures T(max) above 650 degrees C, whereas the resistivity increased from 10(-4) to 10(-3)-10(-2) Omega.cm for bare AZO films. On the other hand, the resistivity of AZO films with a 30-nm-thick a-Si capping layer remained below 10(-4) Omega.cm, even after TPJ annealing at a T(max) of 825 degrees C. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoemission electron studies revealed that the film crystallization of both AZO and a-Si layers was promoted without the formation of an intermixing layer. Additionally, the crystallization of phosphorous- and boron-doped a-Si layers at the sample surface was promoted, compared to that of intrinsic a-Si under identical plasma annealing conditions. The role of the a-Si capping layer on sputter-deposited AZO and ZnO films during TPJ annealing is demonstrated. The effects of the mixing of phosphorous and boron impurities in a-Si:H during TPJ annealing of flat and textured AZOs are also discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.