ITO FILMS SPUTTER-DEPOSITED USING AN ITO TARGET SINTERED WITH VANADIUM-OXIDE ADDITIVE

Densification of an indium-tin-oxide (tin-doped indium oxide) target w as achieved by pressureless sintering in air with a vanadium oxide add itive as reported elsewhere by the present authors. In the present wor k, sputter-deposition using the vanadium-containing ITO target was att empted by RF-magnetron sputtering in an argon atmosphere. A typical fi lm (330 nm thick) deposited at 300 degrees C showed a resistivity of 1 .58 x 10(-4) Omega . cm whose value was slightly lower or approximatel y equal to that of pure ITO films deposited under similar conditions u sing an ITO target without vanadium addition. The carrier concentratio n and carrier mobility were 1.03 x 10(21) cm(-3) and 38.3 cm(2) V . s( -1), respectively. The film was colorless and highly transparent (aver age transmission 81% in the visible range). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.