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

• US 6,849,165 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2001
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oerlikon Deutschland Holding GmbH (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: Unaxis Deutschland GmbH
• Inventors: Trube, Jutta, Klöppel, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): VERSTEEG, STEVEN H
• Application Number:
  US10/276,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20030170449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.15, 204/192.22, 204/192.26
• US Class Current: 204/192.15
• 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 and a small surface roughness on a substrate, comprising:

providing a substrate;

combined HF/DC sputtering of an indium-tin oxide (ITO) target to deposit an ITO film onto the substrate, wherein a process gas is supplemented by an argon/hydrogen mixture as reaction gas during the sputtering and wherein the ITO film has a resistance of less than 200 μ

Ω

cm and a surface roughness of less than 1 nm.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for at least 30% of the total power.

3. The process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for 60% or more of the total power.

4. The process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for 40 to 90% of the total power.

5. A process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the pressure of the process gas during sputtering amounts to between 1.5 to 3 μ

mbar.

6. A process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the substrate temperature during deposition of the ITO film does not exceed 200°

C.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mixing ratio of the argon/hydrogen mixture amounts to 80/20 and the argon/hydrogen mixture constitutes 0.1 to 30% of the process gas.

8. A process in accordance with claim 7, wherein the argon/hydrogen mixture constitutes 5 to 15% of the process gas.

9. A process in accordance with claim 7, wherein the pressure of the process gas during sputtering amounts to between 1.5 and 3 μ

mbar.

10. A process in accordance with claims 7, wherein the substrate temperature during deposition of the ITO film does not exceed 200°

C.

11. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure of the process gas during sputtering amounts to between 0.5 and 5 μ

mbar.

12. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the argon/hydrogen mixture constitutes 5 to 15% of the process gas.

13. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein the substrate temperature during deposition of the ITO film does not exceed 200°

C.

14. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the substrate temperature during deposition of the ITO film does not exceed 250°

C.

15. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein magnetron sputtering is used for sputtering.

16. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for 60% or more of the total power.

17. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the HF power component during the sputtering accounts for 40 to 90% of the total power.

18. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mixing ratio of the argon/hydrogen mixture amounts to 80/20 and the argon/hydrogen mixture constitutes 8 to 10% of the process gas.