Indium-tin oxide (ito) layer and method for producing the same

• US 20030170449A1
• Filed: 05/01/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oerlikon Deutschland Holding GmbH (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: Unaxis Deutschland GmbH
• Inventors: Trube, Jutta, Kloppel, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 6,849,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/336
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022475 composed of indium tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1884 Manufacture of transparent electrodes, e.g. TCO, ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2101/00 Properties of the organic materials covered by group H10K85/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/81 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

A process for the deposition of transparent and conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) films with a particularly low resistance of preferably less than 200 μΩcm and a small surface roughness of preferably less than 1 nm on a substrate, wherein combined HF/DC sputtering of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) target is employed and wherein the process gas is supplemented by an argon/hydrogen mixture as reaction gas during the sputtering, as well as ITO-films with the above-named characteristics.

Claims

1. A process for the deposition of transparent and conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) films with a particularly low resistance of preferably less than 200 μ

Ω

cm and a small surface roughness of preferably less than 1 nm on a substrate, characterized by combined HF/DC sputtering of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) target, wherein the process gas is supplemented by an argon/hydrogen mixture as reaction gas during the sputtering.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for at least 30%, preferably 60% and more, especially 40 to 90%, preferably 60 to 80%, of the total power.

3. A process in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mixing ratio of the argon/hydrogen mixture amounts to 80/20 and that the argon/hydrogen mixture constitutes 0.1 to 30%, especially 5 to 15% and preferably 8 to 10% of the process gas.

4. A process in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure of the process gas during sputtering amounts to between 0.5 and 5 μ

mbar, especially 1.5 to 3 μ

mbar.

5. A process in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate temperature during deposition of the ITO film does not exceed 250°

C. and preferably does not exceed 200°

C.

6. A process in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that magnetron sputter is used for sputtering.

7. An indium-tin oxide (ITO) film for use as transparent and conductive electrode, especially with organic LED displays, on a substrate, especially produced by means of the process in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the film has a specific resistance of less than 200 μ

Ω

cm and a surface roughness of less than 1

8. An ITO film in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that, its specific resistance amounts to 120 to 180 μ

Ω

cm.