AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Thin Films Thursday Sessions
       Session TF+EM-ThA

Paper TF+EM-ThA5
Transparent Conducting Oxide Deposition using Closed Field Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Thursday, November 3, 2005, 3:20 pm, Room 306

Session: Transparent Conducting Oxides
Presenter: J.M. Walls, Applied Multilayers Ltd, UK
Authors: J.M. Walls, Applied Multilayers Ltd, UK
D.R. Gibson, Applied Multilayers Ltd, UK
I. Brinkley, Applied Multilayers Ltd, UK
E.M. Waddell, Applied Multilayers Ltd, UK
Correspondent: Click to Email
Magnetron Sputtering has many advantages for the deposition of optical coating materials. The sputtering process is "cold", making it suitable for use on the widest range of substrates including damage sensitive polymers. This paper will describe a "Closed Field" reactive sputtering process that allows high quality, transparent conducting oxide (TCO) thin films to be deposited at high rates. In contrast to previous reactive dc sputtering strategies the Closed Field process does not require a separate energetic ion or plasma source. The Closed Field automatically creates a magnetic confinement that extends electron mean free paths and leads to high ion current densities (>1mA.cm@super -2@). The combination of high current densities with ion energies in the range 15eV to 30eV creates optimum thin film growth conditions. As a result the films are dense, spectrally stable and exceptionally smooth (rms roughness <1nm) as measured using FEGSEM and white light Coherence Correlation Interferometry. Examples of the morphology, electrical and optical properties of single layer Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) will be presented. Examples of the applications of high quality ITO in multilayer optical coatings and flat screen displays will also be provided.