Fabrication and characterization of indium tin oxide films

Background: Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films are of particular interest in the field of optoelectronics, due to the requirement for transparent electrodes in applications such as organic light-emitting diodes, solar cells and so on. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the effects of preparation temperature on indium tin oxide (ITO) films, to improve their performance for optoelectronic applications. Methods: ITO films were deposited on glass substrate at different temperatures, using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. The influence of substrate temperature on the microstructure and electrical and optical properties was studied. The surface topography and microstructure of the films were analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The electrical resistivity and optical transmittance of the films were measured using the Hall effect measurement and spectrometer, respectively. Results: The results showed that both the surface roughness and film thickness increased as the substrate temperature increased. Transmittance increased from 78% to 80% in the visible wavelength region, while resistivity decreased from 6.05 x 10(-4) to 3.27 x 10(-4) Omega-cm as the substrate temperature increased from 25 degrees C to 275 degrees C. Conclusions: High-quality ITO films with low resistivity and high transmittance can be achieved by increasing the deposition temperature.