High rate deposition of tin-doped indium oxide films by reactive magnetron sputtering with unipolar pulsing and plasma emission feedback systems

Abstract

Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films were deposited on the unheated alkali-free glass substrates (AN100) by reactive magnetron sputtering using an indium-tin alloy target with an unipolar pulsed power source feeding 50 kHz pulses and a plasma control unit (PCU) with a feed back system of oxygen plasma emission intensity at 777 nm. In order to achieve very high deposition rates, depositions were carried out in the 'transition region' between the metallic and the reactive (oxide) sputter modes where the target surface was metallic and oxidized, respectively. Stable depositions were successfully carried out in the whole 'transition region' with an aid of PCU. The lowest resistivity as the transparent ITO films deposited on unheated alkali-free glass was 7.5!10 K4 Ucm with the deposition rate of 650 nm/min. The electrical and optical properties of the films could be controlled systematically in the very wide range. q

Properties of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films Deposited on Polymer Substrates

“…Hao et al [15] stated that in order to get high-quality ITO films of low resistivity, one needs to enhance the crystallinity of the deposited films from the initial stage of deposition and to reduce the thickness of amorphous region on the PET substrate. Several researchers have proposed that the main conduction mechanism of ITO films deposited at low-substrate temperature is due to the creation of oxygen vacancies, which donate two electrons for each vacancy [23][24][25]. Some of the researchers used plasma surface treatment [26][27][28] such as oxygen plasma treatment in order to improve ITO conductivity.…”

Superconductivity in transparent zinc-doped In2O3films having low carrier density

“…The properties of In oxide films (structure, resistivity, etc) strongly depend on the deposition conditions. In particular, polycrystalline ITO films have been deposited without post-annealing by reactive magnetron sputtering [8]. Although these films show metallic behavior, that is, dρ/dT > 0, in a wide temperature range, films show not superconductivity but insulating behaviors owing to localization or electron-electron effects at temperatures below 50 K.…”

Room-Temperature Preparation of High-Transparency Low-Resistivity ITO Films by Ion Beam Sputtering

“…The main conduction mechanism of the ITO films deposited at low temperature was proposed to be due to the creation of oxygen vacancies and the two electrons donated by each vacancy. [22][23][24] The increase in the oxygen flow rate may decrease the oxygen vacancy concentration and the carrier concentration, and increase the mobility due to reduced electron scattering. The resistivity, which is inversely proportional to their product, increases slightly in Fig.…”