magnetron sputtering
pulsed DC magnetron

XRD crystal structure determination of
100nm ITO deposited onto thermal SiO2
showing (222) and (400) orientations
for a film deposited at 200°C

OPT application lab:
Sputtered ITO film with
< 2 nm surface roughness

Equipment:
Plasmalab System 400
(max four 200 mm targets or
five 125 mm or six 100 mm targets)

Technology:
Magnetron Sputtering
rotating table
electrical table heating

ITO Target 90% In2O3 + 10% SnO2
Sputtering gas Ar
Additional gas Oxygen
pulsed DC magnetron mode


Average Optical Transmission
  at 400-1200 nm > 90 %
Deposition Rate 2 - 30 nm/min
Resistivity < 4x 10-4 ohm cm

Uniformity < ± 5 % over 150 mm
(without uniformity mask,
uniformity masks improve the uniformity
at the expense of rate.)

Surface Roughness Ra < 2 nm

Refractive Index 1.95—2.10
dependent on the O2 flow

Average Optical Transmission at 400-1200nm > 90 %

Plasmalab System 400
with vacuum loadlock

Resistivity measured on 100nm ITO films
deposited onto 500 nm thermal oxide