Invited Paper EN+SS+TF-ThA3
Bulk and Surface Physics of Indium Oxide Thin Films Grown on Cubic Zirconia by O-plasma Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Thursday, October 21, 2010, 2:40 pm, Room Mesilla

Tin doped indium oxide (In₂O₃) aka ITO is one of the most important transparent conducting oxides, yet it is only recently that many fundamental aspects the bulk and surface physics of indium oxide itself and of ITO have been addressed [1-3]. We have an ongoing programme concerned with growth of In₂O₃ on Y-stabilised ZrO₂ by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy and will review our most recent work in this area. Issues that will be addressed include the following:

• The influence of surface energies and strain on the growth of In₂O₃ on low index zirconia surfaces. Mechanisms for relief of strain, including crystallographic tilting and development of nanostructures during high temperature MBE growth.
• The influence of strain on the optical properties of ultrathin In₂O₃ films.
• Surface structure and surface physics of In₂O₃ and ITO surfaces, including development of electron accumulation layers for material with low bulk doping levels.

References

1 P D C King et al., Physical Review Letters 2008 101 116808

2 A Walsh et al., Physical Review Letters 2008 100 167402/1-4

3 K H L Zhang et al., Chemistry of Materials 2009 21 4353-4355