Deposition of transparent and conducting indium-tin-oxide films by the r.f.-superimposed DC sputtering technology

With the r.f.-superimposed DC-magnetron sputtering process transparent and conducting indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films were deposited. The optical, electr ical and structural properties of films deposited with different process pa rameters were investigated. It was shown that ITO-films sputtered with the r.f.-superimposed DC-magnetron gas discharge have resistivities that are mu ch lower than the resistivities of ITO-films deposited with the common DC-g as discharge. This behaviour is due to a different crystal structure of ITO -films sputtered with a r.f.-assisted gas discharge. At a substrate tempera ture of 200 degrees C specific resistivities of less than 150 mu Omega cm w ere achieved for a gas discharge that was excited by 50% r.f.-power and 50% DC-power. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.