Substrate Dependence of Properties of Sputtered ITO Films

High-quality indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films are deposited on p-type Czochralski silicon and 7059 Corning 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 Corning 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°C; the reflectivity increases with increasing temperature; when temperature is above 125°C, 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°C. Moreover, both the resistivity and the reflectivity decrease with increasing temperature. Above 125°C, the ITO grows in a two-dimensional manner and forms a domain structure.