Open AccessEvaluation of surface roughness and nanostructure of indium tin oxide (ITO) films by atomic force microscopy
Author(s) -
Kavei G.,
Zare Y.,
Mohammadi Gheidari A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
scanning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.359
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1932-8745
pISSN - 0161-0457
DOI - 10.1002/sca.20104
Subject(s) - sputtering , materials science , indium tin oxide , annealing (glass) , surface roughness , argon , surface finish , soda lime glass , transmittance , analytical chemistry (journal) , indium , thin film , sputter deposition , composite material , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , chromatography
Indium tin oxide was deposited on a glass (soda lime glass) by radiofrequency sputtering system at different sputtering gas (argon/oxygen 90/10%) pressures (20–34 mTorr) at room temperature. The sputtering rate was affected by the sputtering gas pressure. The optimum sputtering gas pressure was found to be 27 mTorr. The samples at different thicknesses (168, 300, 400, 425, 475, 500 and 630 nm) were deposited on the substrate. Transparency, electrical conductivity and surface roughness of the films were characterized. The samples were annealed at 350, 400 and 450°C to evaluate annealing process effects on the concerned parameters and, therefore, the above‐mentioned measurements were repeated again. The films exhibited reasonable optical transmittance and electrical conductivity and greatly improved after annealing. The characterization was focused on the scanning of the film surfaces before and after annealing, which has a prominent effect on the optical properties of the films. Film surfaces were scanned by scanning probe microscopy in contact atomic force mode. The most consideration was devoted to image analysis. SCANNING 30: 232–239, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.