PREPARATION OF ITO FILMS ON WATER-COOLED FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATE BY BIAS R.F. MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Abstract

Good adherent indium-tin oxide (ITO) (10wt% SnO2 impurity) films with a transmittance of about 80% in visible range and resistivity as low as 6.3×10-4Ωcm,were deposited on water-cooled PPA (Polypropylene adipate) substrate by bias r.f. magnetron sputtering.The transmittance in wavelength range of 300—550nm of these films was found to increase with the negative bias applied to the substrate.All these films have a preferred orientation of [222].The X-ray diffraction peaks of [200] decrease with increasing negative bias of the substrate.This means the number of crystal grains growing along [400] decreases.The grain sizes,as well as the conductivities of the films have a maximum value indicated by both AFM microscopy and XRD pattern in the range of -20—-40V of the bias applied to the substrate.The proper working pressure of argon is about 0.5—1Pa,and the proper impurity density of SnO2 is 7.5%—10%(w.t.).