Investigation of electrical, optical and structural properties of sputtered indium tin oxide thin film

Abstract

Transparent and conductive Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) films were grown on borosilicate glass substrate by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering process. The effects of sputtering parameters e.g. substrate temperature and RF power levels on electrical, optical and structural properties were examined. The crystallinity, conductivity and optical transparency of the films were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, four-point probe measurement, laser ellipsometry, and optical spectroscopy. The surface roughness and grain size of the films were also investigated using scanning probe microscopy. This paper reports the non-monotonical dependence of substrate temperature on the nanostructure and phases and the complex impact of RF power levels to the conductivities and the optical properties. The critical role of oxygen partial pressure on the energy bandgaps is also inferred.