Annealing effect on ITO thin films prepared by microwave-enhanced dc reactive magnetron sputtering for telecommunication applications

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at two different oxygen partial pressures (3.8 X 10(-4) and 1.2 X 10(-3) mbar). After the deposition, these films were annealed for 30 min in air at 200 degreesC and 400 degreesC, respectively. The effect of these post-deposition treatments on the structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO thin films has been studied. It,has been found that annealing at 200 degreesC is suitable for improving the properties of these ITO films. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.