Properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films prepared by rf reactive magnetron sputtering at different pressures

A set of indium tin oxide (ITO) films has been prepared by r.f. reactive magnetron sputtering at different total sputtering pressures using an indium tin alloy target. The effect of the pressure on ITO films properties have been studied. The pressure is varied from 0.08 to 0.76 Pa. The deposition rate does not show a significant variation with the pressure. The preferred orientation of ITO films change from the [222] to the [440] direction as the pressure is increased from 0.08 to 0.76 Pa. All the films are subject to a compressive stress. The film that prepared at high pressure show a very rough surface. All the films show a high optical transmittance. The film that prepared at low pressure give a low electrical resistivity. The lowest electrical resistivity which we have obtained in this work is about 2 x 10(-3) Omega cm. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.