Stability of ITO Films with Oxide Buffer Layer Grown onto PES Substrates

Abstract

In this paper, ITO films with the oxide buffer layers were deposited by magnetron sputtering technique onto the PES. The oxide buffer layer was formed by a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method, using SiO2 or TiO2 target. The ITO layers were deposited by a low-frequency (LF) magnetron sputtering technique onto PES/Buffer layer. The sheet resistances of ITO films with the oxide buffer layers grown onto PES substrate were investigated as a function of time in the air and the vacuum. In both cases, the increasing rates of the sheet resistance of the PES/Buffer layer/ITO films are lower than those of the PES/ITO films. In addition, the increasing rates of sheet resistances of the films with the TiO2 buffer layer are lower than those of the films with the SiO2 buffer layer.