Sputtered ITO/Ag/ITO Films: Growth Windows and Ag/ITO Interfacial Properties

Oxide-metal-oxide (OMO) multilayer film has attracted increasing interest due to its high performance, including the high optical transparency and low electric resistivity, and has been considered a promising substitute for the conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) film. In this work, we studied the role of growth parameters for the performance of sputtered ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer film. ITO/Ag/ITO film with superior properties of transmittance of 89.1% and sheet resistance of 8 ohm/ was prepared. The effects of deviation of film thickness on the optical and properties were investigated systematically. Ultrathin ITO1-x film with thickness of less than 5 nm covers the active Ag surface to avoid Ag oxidation effectively, resulting in both high transmittance and conductivity. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile analysis indicates the role of ultrathin ITO1-x film on Ag surface oxidation. This work provides a guideline to fabricate high-quality OMO-based films and devices.