LOW RESISTIVITY INDIUM TIN OXIDE TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE FILMS .1. EFFECT OF INTRODUCING H2O GAS OF H2 GAS DURING DIRECT-CURRENT MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

When an inline sputtering system is used to make conductive transparent ITO film by the direct current (dc) magnetron sputtering method, it was found that the partial gas pressure of H2G affected the properties of deposited films. When the substrate temperature is at or below 200 °C, the control of H>G partial gas pressure is especially important. Using room temperature substrates, an addition of 2X 10 −5 Torr of H20 in the sputtering process could form ITO films with good repeatability at a low resistivity of 6.0 × 10 - 4 11 cm. By adding 11, 0 gas, it was possible to solve the issue of increased resistivity in thicker films. The films with added H20 gas have H element immersed into the film and have high carrier concentration. Film transmittance stayed constant with or without H2G gas addition. Similar effect was observed by adding H2 gas instead of H20 gas. © 1990, American Vacuum Society. All rights reserved.