Electrical/optical properties of thin transparent oxide films deposited using DC magnetron sputtering.

Abstract

Amorphous indium. tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown on plastic substrates, PES (polyethersulfone) using low temperature DC magnetron sputtering. Various post-annealing techniques are attempted to optimize conductivity, transmittance, and roughness: i) conventional thermal annealing, ii) excimer laser annealing, and iii) UV irradiation. The electrical/optical properties were measured using Hall-measurement, DC 4-point resistance measurement, and UV spectrometry along with micro-structural characterization. Optimized UV treatment exhibits enhanced conductivity and smooth surface, compared to those of conventional thermal annealing and excimer laser annealing.