Substrate Dependence of Properties of Sputtered ITO Films

High-quality indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films are deposited on p-type Czochralski silicon and 7059 Coming glass by direct-current magnetron sputtering at various temperatures. The structural, electrical and optical properties of the ITO films are investigated as functions of the substrate temperature. A comparison between the characteristics of the ITO films on silicon and Coming glass is presented. The results show that for the ITO film on silicon,the nucleation begins from room temperature; the resistivity reaches a maximum value at 75℃; the reflectivity increases with increasing temperature; when temperature is above 125℃, the ITO grows in a three-dimensional manner and forms a granular structure. However, for the ITO film on glass, it is still in an amorphous state at 75℃. Moreover, both the resistivity and the reflectivity decrease with increasing temperature. Above 125℃, the ITO grows in a two-dimensional manner and forms a domain structure.