Electrical and optical properties of In2O3-ZnO films deposited on polyethylene terephthahate substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering

Using a In2O3 and ZnO powder mixture with a ratio of 95 : 5 in wt% as a target, highly transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films are prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering. These films have amorphous structures with excellent electrical stability, surface uniformity and adhesion to the PET substrate and can be prepared at room temperature. In particular, In2O3-ZnO (IZO) films directly deposited on PET without a hard-coated layer have nearly similar electrical properties, higher transmittance and a more uniform surface in comparison with those deposited on a hard-coated layer of PET. When a TCO material is deposited on PET, IZO is more suitable than indium tin oxide (ITO) in several aspects such as the optical, electrical, and etching properties and its surface uniformity.