The Improved Characteristics through Laser Annealing for the Transparent Conducting Films Prepared by the Laser Ablation Method

Abstract

ITO (In₂O₃ doped with 5 wt% SnO₂) films were grown on glass substrates at room temperature by the pulsed laser deposition method using an ArF excimer laser that provides 40 mJ (1.4/cm²) pulses of 1216 ns duration at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Ablation time was 20 min and gas pressure of oxygen was 45 Pa. After the deposition process was finished, the ITO films were annealed for 30 min by the excimer laser regulated to give a weak energy density of 414 mJ/cm². As a result, the resistivity of the film decreased from 3.14×10^-3 Ω ·cm to 9.66×10^-4 Ω·cm and the surface roughness Ra improved from 0.69 nm to 0.46 nm.