Deposition of indium-tin-oxide films on polymer substrates for applicationin plastic-based flat panel displays

Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films (1000 +/- 100 Angstrom) were deposited on glas s and polymer (polyethersulfone) substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering for plastic-based flat-panel displays. A novel device and a stepped heating pro cess were used both to eliminate the tensile force and to diminish the ther mal expansion of the polymer substrates. Therefore, we succeeded in sputter ing ITO films without any cracking or shrinkage of the polymer substrates. The oxygen partial pressure and post-deposition annealing conditions were v aried to observe the dependence of the optical, electrical and etching prop erties of ITO films on the process parameters. The substrate material was p olyethersulfone with a gas barrier layer. Moreover, in order to investigate the influences of the process parameters, X-ray diffractometer observation s and measurement of transmission, sheet resistance and residual resistance after etching process were performed. We found that oxygen content in the polymer matrix resulted from the gas absorption of polymer substrates cause different dependence of polymer substrates on oxygen partial pressure comp are with glass substrates. Consequently, we could obtain high conductive ( 20-25 Omega square (-1)) and transparent (above 80%) ITO films deposited on polymer substrates using the condition of 0.2% oxygen partial pressure and vacuum annealing at the temperature of 180 degreesC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.