Thermopower and optical studies on undoped and manganese doped indium tin oxide films

Thermopower measurements in the range of 300-650 K along with room temperature optical absorption and electrical resistivity studies have been performed on indium tin oxide (ITO) and manganese doped indium tin oxide (Mn:ITO) thin films grown by reactive DC sputtering. The thermopower of the films measured in Ar ambient displayed irreversible changes attributable to oxygen loss. Thermopower, carrier concentration and resistivity of the films have been found to depend on oxygen vacancies and Mn concentration. The observations have been substantiated with optical absorption and room temperature electrical resistivity results. It has also been observed that band gap tuning in these films is possible by the introduction of Mn as well as oxygen vacancies.     

Thickness dependence of electrical properties in thin films of undoped indium oxide prepared by ion-beam sputtering

Preparation and electrical characterization of undoped indium oxide films were examined as a function of thickness and annealing. Thin films ranging from 1.1 to 113 nm thickness were deposited on glass substrates by ion-beam sputtering. Low-angle X-ray diffraction analysis in multi-layered films showed the possibility that physically continuous and almost flat films were formed even in the thinnest 1.1 nm films. Room temperature resistivity of as-deposited films decreased sharply by more than five orders of magnitude as the thickness increased from 1.1 to 5.2 nm. The 2.4 nm thick films, in its as-deposited state, showed a gradual resistivity modulation with the change of atmosphere between air and argon gas at room temperature. Annealing at 300° C for 5 h in air increased the resistivity drastically; the room temperature resistivity of 24.3 nm thick films changed from 2.2×10^–3 cm (as-deposited) to higher than 10⁵ cm (annealed).     

Etching methods for indium oxide/tin oxide films

Methods are described for etching patterns in conducting indium-tin oxide films on glass substrates. For patterns requiring maximum definition and resolution hydriodic acid is preferred, whereas hydrofluoric acid or zinc and hydrochloric acid are useful for other purposes.     

Properties of indium tin oxide thin films prepared on the oxygen plasma-treated polycarbonate substrate

We prepared the indium tin oxide thin (ITO) film on the polymer substrate by using facing target sputtering method. To obtain a smooth surface of the ITO thin film for application of OLEDs, before deposition of the ITO thin film, the polymer substrate was given plasma surface treatment. The electrical and surface properties were measured by a Hall Effect measurement and a contact angle measurement. The structural and optical properties were evaluated by an X-ray diffractometer, an atomic force microscope and a UV/VIS spectrometer, respectively. All ITO thin films deposited on plasma-treated polymer substrate showed an average transmittance over 85% in visible range, and the lowest resistivity was 4.17 × 10^− 4 Ω cm.     

Correlation between resistivity and oxygen vacancy of hydrogen-doped indium tin oxide thin films

Thin films of indium tin oxide (ITO) sputter-deposited by dc-plasma containing deuterium on glass substrate without any heat treatments exhibited gradual lowering in electrical resistivity with increasing the deuterium content [D₂] in plasma gas by 1% and then demonstrated a jump in resistivity by further increase of [D₂] than 1%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that hydroxyl-bonded oxygen in ITO grew continuingly with [D₂]. Deuterium positioned at the interstitial site increased almost quantitatively with increasing [D₂]. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy showed gradual reduction in the oxygen content of ITO with increasing [D₂] by 1% and then demonstrated an abrupt increase of the oxygen content with the increase of [D₂] than 1%. The films with [D₂] < 1% were oxygen deficient, but those with [D₂] > 1% were excess of oxygen. The most oxygen deficient film of [D₂] = 1% was the most conductive. Behavior in the resistivity with [D₂] looks parallel to that in the oxygen content. A lower resistivity of the films corresponded well to oxygen vacancy rather than hydrogen interstitial.     

Properties of indium oxide films prepared by the reactive evaporation of indium

Indium oxide films with an electrical resistivity of about $\text{4 × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?4}}\text{Ω}\text{cm}$ and good optical quality were prepared by the reactive evaporation of pure indium in the presence of 10^?4 Torr of oxygen. The Auger electron spectrum of these films shows a deficiency of oxygen and corresponds to a composition which can be represented as In₂O_2.85. In the absence of foreign doping agents, the conduction electrons are provided by indium atoms which are adjacent to oxygen vacancies and act as a donor level. The electrical conductivity of the films is shown to be modulated by variations in the partial pressure of oxygen over the film which change the extent of the non-stoichiometry of the oxide by incorporation of oxygen into or extraction of oxygen from the film.     

A study of crystallographic phases in non-stoichiometric (oxygen deficiency) indium oxide thin films

Indium oxide is a well-known transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in its stoichiometric composition (In₂O₃). Its electrical and optical properties are strongly influenced by the chemical composition. This work focuses on an experimental investigation of the crystallographic phases in non-stoichiometric (oxygen deficiency) compositions of indium oxide thin films. The thin films were deposited at 300 °C by reactive sputtering of pure indium target at different oxygen gas flow rates on Si substrates. Two different phases are identified only in the non-stoichiometric compositions: metallic indium- and crystalline indium-rich oxide. The metallic indium phase appears as nano-crystals, a few nano-meters in diameter, evenly dispersed and occupies only 1 vol. % of the film. These metallic nano-particles have a negligible effect on the optical transparency and electrical conductivity of the films. The indium-rich oxide (In_xO_y) phase which occupies about 99 vol. % of the film has the bixbyite crystallographic structure and average grain size of about 50 nm. This phase has a pronounced effect on improving the TCO figure-of-merit (FM) relative to stoichiometric crystalline In₂O₃ films due to a higher increase of the electrical conductivity than the decrease of the optical transparency.     

Optical properties of amorphous-like indium zinc oxide and indium gallium zinc oxide thin films

The paper presents the optical properties of amorphous-like indium zinc oxide and indium gallium zinc oxide thin films with various In/(In + Zn) ratios obtained by Pulsed Laser Deposition. Thickness results obtained from simulations of X-ray Reflectivity and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry data were very similar. The dependence of density on stoichiometry resembles the corresponding dependence of the refractive index in the transparency range. A free carrier absorption was noted in the visible spectral range, leading to a weak absorbing thin transparent conductive oxide. On the other hand, the refractive index is smaller than those of based oxides (ZnO and In₂O₃), and counterbalance therefore the weak light absorption.     

Evaluation of the film formation and the charge transport mechanism of indium tin oxide nanoparticle films

The structure formation and charge transfer of thin nanoparticulate indium tin oxide (ITO) films prepared by dip-coating was studied as a function of stabilizer before and after annealing at different temperatures. The analysis of the film structure by optical methods revealed that it is a function of the stability. Suspensions containing an optimum stabilizer concentration of 0.1 mol/l resulted in densely packed films with a peak specific conductivity of 8.3 S cm^− 1 after annealing at 550 °C for 1 h in air and 121 S cm^− 1 after annealing in forming gas at 250 °C for 1 h, respectively. Furthermore, for the densely packed films fluctuation-induced tunnelling was found to be the dominant charge transport mechanism, whereas for the low density films a thermally activated charge transport was observed. That the films of maximum density showed a metallic charge transport behaviour at temperatures above 300 K indicated the optimal contact between ITO particles had been achieved.     

Fluorine doped indium oxide films for silicon solar cells

The effect of conditions of preparation of the In₂O₃:F(IFO)/(pp⁺)Si solar cell (SC) by pyrosol method was systematically studied with the goal to maximize its photovoltage. Heterojunction IFO/(pp⁺)Si SC was obtained with the efficiency of 16.6% and photovoltage of 617 mV as well as the IFO/(n⁺pp⁺)Si SC with the efficiency of 19.2% using the following obtained optimal conditions: film-forming solution: 0.2 M InCl₃ + 0.05 M NH₄F + 0.1 M H₂O in methanol; carrier gas — Ar + 5% O₂; deposition temperature — 480 °C; duration of deposition — 2 min; two-minute annealing in argon with sprayed methanol at a temperature of 380 °C.     

{111} twinning structure and interfacial energy in nonstoichiometric TiCx with ordered carbon vacancies

Here we report the experimental and theoretical investigations of the {111} twinning structures in nonstoichiometric TiC_0.7 with ordered carbon vacancies. Owing to the ordering of carbon vacancies, a cubic Ti₂C-type ordered phase is formed in nonstoichiometric TiC_x (0.53 ≤ x ≤ 0.81). Via the TEM measurements, the {111}-specific twinning structure with incoherent boundary has been observed in ordered TiC_0.7. The first principles calculations indicate that the presence of ordered carbon vacancies leads to reduction in the energy of {111}_Ti type twinning interface, thus favoring the formation and stabilization of {111}_Ti-specific twinning structure in the ordered TiC_x.     

Structural, optical and electrical properties of chemically deposited nonstoichiometric copper indium diselenide films

Thin films of copper indium diselenide (CIS) were prepared by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrate at temperature, 60°C. The studies on composition, morphology, optical absorption, electrical conductivity and structure of the films were carried out and discussed. Characterization included X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and absorption spectroscopy. The results are discussed and interpreted.     

Preparation and characterisation of tin-doped indium oxide films

Tin-doped In₂O₃ (ITO) thin films were prepared by reactive evaporation from new pulverulent mixture of indium oxide, tin oxide and metallic indium at different partial pressures of oxygen. The films were annealed in a secondary vacuum just after deposition. Under optimal conditions of evaporation, these films are stoichiometric, show a good crystallinity and feature high transmission in visible region (T>90%) and high reflection in near IR region versus oxygen pressure.     

Electrical properties of electron-beam-evaporated indium oxide thin films

Crystalline (b.c.c.) indium oxide (In₂O₃) powder was evaporated using an electron beam and the structure of the deposited films was found to be amorphous. Studies of the a.c. conductance of films of various thicknesses were carried out in the audio frequency range (200 Hz to 30 kHz) at various temperatures. The current-voltage characteristics of the films were also studied. The dielectric breakdown field strength was determined for several film thicknesses and at various temperatures. The activation energies for the a.c. and d.c. conduction processes were estimated and the results are discussed.     

Colloidal indium tin oxide nanoparticles for transparent and conductive films

Nanosized colloidal indium tin oxide (ITO) dispersion was prepared for electrically conductive and transparent coating materials. A titanate coupling agent, isopropyl tri(N-ethylenediamino)ethyl titanate, was chosen as a dispersant for the stabilization of ITO nanoparticles in organic solvent. ITO sol was deposited on a cathode ray tube panel for antistatic or electromagnetic shielding purposes, and alkyl silicate was used for the formation of an antireflective over-coat layer. The resulting double-layered coating showed low sheet resistance, which satisfied semi-TCO regulation and low reflectance of visible light. To control the electrical and optical properties of the coating layer, the effects of secondary particle size of ITO aggregates and the dispersant concentration of ITO sol were studied. The stability of ITO sol was estimated by measuring the particle size as a function of the storage days and the aggregation of colloidal ITO dispersion with storage day was explained by depletion flocculation.     

UV absorption studies of undoped and fluorine-doped tin oxide films

Tin oxide films undoped and doped with fluorine are prepared by a chemical vapour deposition technique involving the oxidation of SnCl₂. For fluorine doping a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and deionized water is used. The optical properties of these films are investigated in the UV region (225–350 nm). It is observed that for an undoped tin oxide the absorption edge lies at 3.71 eV. It is also observed that for fluorine-doped tin oxide films the absorption edge shifts towards higher energies, which is related to the Moss-Burstein shift. In the case of fluorine-doped tin oxide films, depending on the fluorine concentration, the absorption edge lies in the range 3.89–4.07 eV. Undoped and fluorine-doped tin oxide films show a direct transition at 4.03 eV and in the range 4.17–4.29 eV respectively, whereas the indirect transition for undoped and fluorine-doped tin oxide films occurs at 3.35 eV and in the range 3.55–3.67 eV respectively.     

Substitution of transparent conducting oxide thin films for indium tin oxide transparent electrode applications

The present status and prospects for further development of reduced or indium-free transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials for use in practical thin-film transparent electrode applications such as liquid crystal displays are presented in this paper: reduced-indium TCO materials such as ZnO-In₂O₃, In₂O₃-SnO₂ and Zn-In-Sn-O multicomponent oxides and indium-free materials such as Al- and Ga-doped ZnO (AZO and GZO). In particular, AZO thin films, with source materials that are inexpensive and non-toxic, are the best candidates. The current problems associated with substituting AZO or GZO for ITO, besides their stability in oxidizing environments as well as the non-uniform distribution of resistivity resulting from dc magnetron sputtering deposition, can be resolved. Current developments associated with overcoming the remaining problems are also presented: newly developed AZO thin-film deposition techniques that reduce resistivity as well as improve the resistivity distribution uniformity using high-rate dc magnetron sputtering depositions incorporating radio frequency power. In addition, stability tests of resistivity in TCO thin films evaluated in air at 90% relative humidity and 60 °C have demonstrated that sufficiently moisture-resistant AZO thin films can be produced at a substrate temperature below 200 °C when the film thickness was approximately 200 nm. However, improving the stability of AZO and GZO films with a thickness below 100 nm remains a problem.     

In_2O_3：W薄膜的制备及光电性能研究

采用直流磁控溅射法制备了掺钨氧化铟（In2O3：W,IWO）薄膜,研究了制备工艺对薄膜表面形貌和光电性能的影响。结果表明薄膜的表面形貌与其光电性能有着紧密联系。氧分压显著影响薄膜的表面形貌进而对薄膜的光电性能产生影响,同时溅射时间的变化也显著影响薄膜的光电性能：随着氧分压以及溅射时间的升高,薄膜的电阻率均呈现先减小后增大的变化规律,在氧分压为2.4×10-1Pa条件下,制备样品的表面晶粒排布最细密,其电阻率达到6.3×10-4Ω.cm,载流子浓度为2.9×1020cm-3,载流子迁移率为34cm2/（V.s）,可见光平均透射率约为85%,近红外光平均透射率〉80%。