Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimization of Sputtering Parameters for the Deposition of Low Resistivity Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films

  • Published:
Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters) Aims and scope

Abstract

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films have been deposited using RF sputtering technique at different pressures, RF powers, and substrate temperatures. Variations in surface morphology, optical properties, and film resistances were measured and analyzed. It is shown that a very low value of sheet resistance (1.96 Ω/sq.) can be achieved with suitable arrangement of the deposition experiments. First, at constant RF power, deposition at different pressure values is done, and the condition for achieving minimum sheet resistance (26.43 Ω/sq.) is found. In the next step, different values of RF powers are tried, while keeping the pressure fixed on the previously found minimum point (1–2 Pa). Finally, the minimum resistivity is obtained by sweeping the substrate temperatures, while keeping RF power and the working pressure at their optimum values. Furthermore, the effects of process parameters on properties, such as the surface morphology and the optical transmission, are discussed. Although the point of minimum resistivity does not coincide with that of the maximum transparency of ITO film, relatively acceptable values of transmittance (approximately 75% on a glass substrate with intrinsic transparency of 89%) can be obtained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. K.L. Chopra, S. Majro, D.K. Pandya, Thin Solid Films 102, 1 (1983)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. L. Wei, C. Shuying, J. Semicond. 32, 013002 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. H. Kima, C.M. Gilmore, A. Pique, J.S. Horwitz, H. Mattoussi, H. Murata, Z.H. Kafafi, D.B. Chrisey, J. Appl. Phys. 86, 6451 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. S.Y. Lien, Thin Solid Films 518, S10 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. F.O. Adurodija, L. Semple, R. Bruning, J. Mater. Sci. 41, 7096 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Y. Hoshi, H.O. Kato, K. Funatsu, Thin Solid Films 445, 245 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. K. Zhang, F. Zhu, C.H.A. Huan, A.T.S. Wee, Thin Solid Films 376, 255 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. H.H. Yu, S.J. Hwang, M.C. Tseng, C.C. Tseng, Opt. Commun. 259, 187 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. D. Vaufrey, M.B. Khalifa, M.P. Besland, J. Tardy, C. Sandu, M.G. Blanchin, J.A. Roger, Mater. Sci. Eng. C 21, 265 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Q.H. Wang, A.A. Setlur, J.M. Lauerhaas, J.Y. Dai, E.W. Seelig, R.P.H. Chang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 2912 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. S. Elhalawaty, K. Sivaramakrishnan, N.D. Theodore, T.L. Alford, Thin Solid Films 518, 3326 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. A. Amaral, P. Brogueira, C. Nunes de Carvalho, G. Lavareda, Surf. Coat. Technol. 125, 151 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M. Yamaguchi, A.I. Ektessabi, H. Nomura, N. Yasui, Thin Solid Films 447, 115 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. J.S. Kim, J.W. Bae, H.J. Kim, N.E. Lee, G.Y. Yeom, K.H. Oh, Thin Solid Films 377, 103 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. V. Vasu, A. Subrahmanyam, Thin Solid Films 193, 696 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. V. Vasu, A. Subrahmanyam, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 7, 1471 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. T.K. Yong, T.Y. Tou, B.S. Teo, Appl. Surf. Sci. 248, 388 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. A. Narazaki, T. Sato, H. Niino, A. Yabe, T. Sasaki, N. Koshizaki, The 4th Pacific rim conference on lasers and electro-optics, CLEO/Pacific rim, Chiba, Japan I-46–47 (2001). doi:10.1109/CLEOPR.2001.967719

  19. Y.S. Kim, Y.C. Park, S.G. Ansaria, B.S. Lee, H.S. Shin, Thin Solid Films 426, 124 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. T. Kondo, Y. Sawada, K. Akiyama, H. Funakubo, T. Kiguchi, S. Seki, M.H. Wang, T. Uchida, Thin Solid Films 516, 5864 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. K. Maki, N. Komiya, A. Suzuki, Thin Solid Films 445, 224 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. J.O. Park, J.H. Lee, J.J. Kim, S.H. Cho, Y.K. Cho, Thin Solid Films 474, 127 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. S.I. Jun, T.E. McKnight, M.L. Simpson, P.D. Rack, Thin Solid Films 476, 59 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. M.G. Sandoval-Paz, R. Ramírez-Bon, Thin Solid Films 517, 2596 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. E. Terzini, P. Thilakan, C. Minarini, Mater. Sci. Eng. B 77, 110 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. L.J. Meng, M.P. dos Santos, Thin Solid Films 322, 56 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. L. Zhao, Z. Zhou, H. Peng, R. Cui, Appl. Surf. Sci. 252, 385 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. S. Wang, J. Zhang, B. Wang, L. Feng, Y. Cai, L. Wu, W. Li, Z. Lei, B. Li, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 21, 441 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. H.C. Lee, J.Y. Seo, Y.W. Choi, D.W. Lee, Vacuum 72, 269 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. S.H. Shin, J.H. Shin, K.J. Park, T. Ishida, O. Tabata, H.H. Kim, Thin Solid Films 341, 225 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. V. Teixeira, H.N. Cui, L.J. Meng, E. Fortunato, R. Martins, Thin Solid Films 420, 70 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. H. Ma, J.S. Cho, C.H. Park, Surf. Coat. Technol. 153, 131 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. L.A. Rasia, R.D. Mansano, L.R. Damiani, C.E. Viana, J. Mater. Sci. 45, 4224 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. C. Guille′n, J. Herrero, J. Mater. Sci. 47, 1836 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. B. Demaurex, S.D. Wolf, A. Descoeudres, Z.C. Holman, C. Ballif, Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 171604-1-4 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Y.S. Jung, D.W. Lee, D.Y. Jeon, Appl. Surf. Sci. 221, 136 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. M. Chuang, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 26, 577 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Y. Han, D. Kim, J.S. Cho, S.K. Koh, Thin Solid Films 473, 218 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. N. Straue, M. Rauscher, S. Walther, H. Faber, A. Roosen, J. Mater. Sci. 44, 6011 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. M. Muraoka, M. Suzuki, Y. Sawada, J. Mater. Sci. 33, 5621 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. M. Farahamndjou, Rev. Mex. Fisica 59, 205 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  42. C.H. Chung, T.B. Song, B. Bob, R. Zhu, Y. Yang, Nano. Res. 5, 805 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. O. Kamiya, Y. Onai, H. Kato, Y. Hoshi, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 18, S359 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. K. Vijayalakshmi, C. Ravidhas, V. VasanthiPilay, D. GopalaKrishna, Thin Solid Films 519, 3378 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. B. Zhang, X. Dong, X. Xu, P. Zhao, J. Wu, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 92, 1224 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. M.J. Chuang, H.F. Huang, C.H. Wen, A.K. Chu, Thin Solid Films 518, 2290 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. M. Gulen, S. Yildirim, S. Bal, A. Varilci, I. Belenli, M. Oz, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 24, 467 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. U. Bets, M. Kharrazi Olsson, J. Marhy, M.F. Escola, F. Atamny, Surf. Coat. Technol. 200, 5751 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. K. Reinhardt, W. Kern, Handbook of Silicon Wafer Cleaning Technology (William Andrew Inc, Norwich, 2008)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Avenue, PO. Box 11155-9363, Tehran, Iran

    Navid Yasrebi, Behrang Bagheri, Payam Yazdanfar & Bizhan Rashidian

  2. Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Pezhman Sasanpour

Authors
  1. Navid Yasrebi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Behrang Bagheri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Payam Yazdanfar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bizhan Rashidian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pezhman Sasanpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bizhan Rashidian.

Additional information

Available online at http://link.springer.com/journal/40195

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yasrebi, N., Bagheri, B., Yazdanfar, P. et al. Optimization of Sputtering Parameters for the Deposition of Low Resistivity Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films. Acta Metall. Sin. (Engl. Lett.) 27, 324–330 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-014-0048-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-014-0048-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation