Deposition of Indium Tin Oxide Films on Acrylic Substrates by Radiofrequency Magnetron Sputtering

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited onto acrylic substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. Low substrate temperature (<80°C) and low rf power (<28 W) were maintained during sputtering to prevent acrylic substrate deformation. The influence of sputtering parameters, such as rf power, target-to-substrate distance, and chamber pressure, on the film deposition rate, the electrical properties, as well as the optical properties of the deposited films was investigated. Both the refractive index and the extinction coefficient were derived. The high reflection at wavelengths greater than 3 μ made these sputtered ITO films applicable to infrared mirrors.