Tuning the optical and electrical properties of HiPIMS-ITO films by variation of annealing temperature

Abstract

Abstract High power impuls magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) deposits high quality films due to high ionization fraction. In this work, Indium tin oxide (ITO) films are deposited by HiPIMS methord. The effects of annealing temperature under nitrogen environment on the crystal structure, optical properties and electrical properties of ITO films were investigated. The properties of the films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Hall measurement system (Hall), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the average visible transmittance of the annealed ITO film reached 83.5%. The XRD results show that the ITO film grain size slightly increased after annealing. The mobility increases after annealing. This study proves that HiPIMS deposited ITO thin film is very superior to low temperature processing, and the grown thin film can be used in LEDs and solar cells.