Transparent conducting indium doped tin oxide

• US 9,988,707 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Uprety, Krishna K., Lakdawala, Khushroo H., Shellenberger, Russell, Ali, Mahmood Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): McDonald, Rodney G
• Application Number:
  US14/292,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20150345006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 20419229, 20429823, 20429829
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/086 of zinc, germanium, cadmium, indium, tin, thallium or bismuth

Abstract

A method of manufacturing indium tin oxide includes sputtering indium and tin from a target onto a substrate, the sputtering including moving the target along a path over the substrate. The indium tin oxide may have a sheet resistance less than 0.5 Ω/□. An indium film includes: a first moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer; a second moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer on the first moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer; and a third moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer on the second moving target sputtered indium tin oxide layer. A transparency includes the indium tin oxide, and a flying vehicle includes the transparency.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing indium tin oxide, the method comprising:

sputtering indium and tin from a target onto a substrate to form the indium tin oxide over the substrate, the sputtering comprising moving the target relative to the substrate along a path over the substrate,

wherein the indium tin oxide film has a thickness in a range of 500 nm to 4 μ

m,

wherein the moving of the target comprises moving the target from an end of the path to an other end of the path during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate,

wherein during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate the target does not move substantially past the end of the path or the other end of the path, and

wherein the end of the path is over an end of the substrate and the other end of the path is over an other end of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a sheet resistance of the indium tin oxide is less than 0.5 Ω

/□

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the target from the end of the path to the other end of the path forms a first layer of indium tin oxide.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising moving the target from the other end of the path to the end of the path to complete a cycle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the moving of the target comprises completing a plurality of cycles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the moving of the target comprises completing 2 or more cycles.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising moving the target from the other end of the path to the end of the path forming a second layer of indium tin oxide over the first layer of indium tin oxide.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising moving the target from the end of the path to the other end of the path forming a third layer of indium tin oxide over the second layer of indium tin oxide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sputtering is performed at a temperature in a range of room temperature to 700°

F.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sputtering is performed for a period of time in a range of about 1 minute or more.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sputtering is performed while flowing an inert gas over the substrate at an inert gas flow rate in a range of about 100 to about 600 sccm, and while flowing an oxygen gas over the substrate at an oxygen gas flow rate in a range of about 5 to 400 sccm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the indium tin oxide anneals as the target moves away from the portion of the indium tin oxide.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the target relative to the substrate comprises moving the target and/or the substrate.

14. A method of manufacturing indium tin oxide, the method comprising:

sputtering indium and tin from a target onto a substrate to form the indium tin oxide over the substrate, the sputtering comprising moving the target relative to the substrate along a path over the substrate to form a plurality of indium tin oxide layers forming said indium tin oxide,

wherein a sheet resistance of the indium tin oxide is less than 0.5 Ω

/□

,

wherein the moving of the target comprises moving the target from an end of the path to an other end of the path during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate,

wherein during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate the target does not move substantially past the end of the path or the other end of the path, and

wherein the end of the path is over an end of the substrate and the other end of the path is over an other end of the substrate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indium tin oxide has a thickness in a range of 10 nm to 4 μ

m.

16. A method of manufacturing indium tin oxide, the method comprising:

sputtering indium and tin from a target onto a substrate to form the indium tin oxide over the substrate, the sputtering comprising moving the target relative to the substrate along a path over the substrate,

wherein the moving of the target comprises moving the target from an end of the path to an other end of the path during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate,

wherein during the sputtering of the indium and the tin from the target onto the substrate the target does not move substantially past the end of the path or the other end of the path, and

wherein the end of the path is over an end of the substrate and the other end of the path is over an other end of the substrate.