AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Monday Sessions
       Session TF-MoP

Paper TF-MoP13
Preparation of Transparent and Conductive Multicomponent Zn-In-Sn Oxide Thin Films by Vacuum Arc Plasma Evaporation

Monday, November 15, 2004, 5:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: S. Tsukada, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Authors: T. Minami, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
S. Tsukada, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Y. Minamino, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
T. Miyata, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan
Correspondent: Click to Email
A newly developed vacuum arc plasma evaporation (VAPE) method has recently attracted much attention for its high rate deposition of low-resistivity transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films on large area substrates. TCO thin films such as Ga- or F-doped ZnO and ITO were prepared by the VAPE method with resistivities on the order of 10@super -4@@ohm@cm. In this paper, we describe the preparation of transparent and conductive multicomponent Zn-In-Sn oxide thin films. Multicomponent Zn-In-Sn oxide fragments prepared by sintering a mixture of ZnO, In@sub 2@O@sub 3@ and SnO@sub 2@ powders were used as the target. The film depositions were carried out under the following conditions: substrate, large area glass; substrate temperature, RT to 350°C; pressure, 0.08 to 1 Pa; Ar and O@sub 2@ gas flow rates, 20 and 0 to 20 sccm; and cathode plasma power, 3.5 to 10 kW. Highly transparent and conductive multicomponent TCO thin films could be prepared by varying the composition of ZnO-In@sub 2@O@sub 3@, In@sub 2@O@sub 3@-SnO@sub 2@ and ZnO-SnO@sub 2@ fragment targets. It was also found that the metal content in the deposited films was approximately equal to that of the target used. In addition, a deposition rate above 100 nm/min as well as uniform distributions of resistivity and thickness on the substrate surface were obtained. Resistivities of 10@super -4@ to 10@super -3@@ohm@cm and average transmittances above 85% in the visible range were obtained in the ZnO-In@sub 2@O@sub 3@, In@sub 2@O@sub 3@-SnO@sub 2@ and ZnO-SnO@sub 2@ thin films deposited by varying the composition (metal content). In conclusion, approximately the same electrical and optical properties that had been previously reported in multicomponent Zn-In-Sn oxide thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering have now also been obtained using the VAPE method.