ITO films were deposited on three different substrates, Si, non-alkaline glass, and SiO
xcoated glass, by dc magnetron sputtering with/without H
2O introduction. H
2O partial pressure during the deposition was controlled to be 6.7 × 10
-3 Pa. The structural and electrical properties of the films were analyzed in detail. The ITO films deposited with the H
2O introduction showed amorphous structure and higher crystallization temperature during post-annealing in N
2. Such effects of the H
2O introduction on the microstructure of the films were different for each substrate. The ITO films deposited on the Si substrate showed the lighter effects, whereas the films on SiO
x coated glass showed the much heavier effects. In both cases, the effects were stronger for the thinner film thicknesses, implying that the interface between ITO films and the substrate should be strongly affected by the H
2O introduction. The amorphous ITO films deposited under the higher H
2O partial pressure contained less microcrystalline residues after wet-etching. Such films were analyzed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) to have much higher hydrogen concentrations inside the films.
View full abstract