Optical, Electrical Properties and Structure of Multilayer Iron-Doped IndiumTin Oxide Thin Films Sputtered on Preheated Glass Substrates.

Multilayer iron-doped indium-saving indiumtin oxide (ML ITO50:Fe₂O₃) thin films with high conductivity and high transmittance in the visible spectrum have been fabricated by sputtering method. Structures consisting of very thin layer of conventional indium tin oxide (90 mass% In₂O₃10 mass% SnO₂) and iron-doped indium-saving indiumtin oxide layer with reduced content of In₂O₃ (ITO50:Fe₂O₃) to 50 mass% are discussed. By optimizing oxygen flow rate in iron-doped indium-saving indiumtin oxide layer, the lowest volume resistivity of 3.78 × 10^-4·cm, mobility of 29.8cm2/(V·s), carrier concentration of 4.60 × 10²⁰ cm^-3 and transmittance larger than 90% in the visible range have been achieved. ML ITO50:Fe₂O₃ thin films deposited under optimal conditions demonstrated lower volume resistivity and higher transmittance than undoped multilayer indium-saving ITO thin films and iron-doped single-layer thin films obtained under the same oxygen flow rate Q(O₂) = 0.1 sccm. ML ITO50:Fe₂O₃ thin films demonstrated optimal parameters at the lower oxygen flow rate (Q(O₂) = 0.1 sccm) than undoped ML ITO50 thin films. ML ITO50:Fe₂O₃ thin films are crystallized and show In₄Sn₃O₁₂ structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]