High mobility titanium-doped In2O3 thin films prepared by sputtering/post-annealing technique

High-electron-mobility Ti-doped In2O3 (ITO) thin films were prepared on soda-lime glass substrates by rf magnetron sputtering followed by a post-annealing process. Both carrier concentration and electron mobility were considerably improved by annealing in a vacuum at 530 degrees C. A highest electron mobility of 105cm(2) V-1 s(-1) With a resistivity of 1.95 x 10(-4) Omega cm was obtained for an annealed ITiO thin film. The ITiO thin film exhibited an optical transmission of approximately 80% at wavelengths ranging from 400 to 1800 nm. Post-annealing in a vacuum is one of the effective methods for improving the electrical properties of ITO thin films without sacrificing optical transmission. (C) 2008 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.