Properties of In2O3:Sb Thin Films Deposited on Quartz Substrates by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Antimony-doped indium oxide thin films were deposited on quartz substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at various growth temperatures in the range of 25–400 °C. The effects of growth temperature on the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the In2O3:Sb thin films were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and a Hall effect measurement system. The thin films showed a cubic structure with a dominant (222) diffraction peak, and a large number of spherical particles with an average size of approximately 100 nm and a thickness of 190 nm were evolved at a growth temperature of 400 °C. Growing the thin film at higher growth temperatures resulted in an increase in the figure of merit, grain size, and electron concentration, and a decrease in the optical band gap, electrical resistivity, and average transmittance in the wavelength range of 450–1100 nm. The results suggest that the optimal growth temperature for fabricating high-quality RF-sputtered In2O3:Sb thin films is 400 °C.