Improvement in structural, optical and electrical properties of ito film through ALN and HfO2buffer layers

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) films were deposited on glass substrate using radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. To improve the physical characteristics of the ITO film, AlN and HfO2 buffer layers were deposited on glass prior to the film deposition. The ITO/glass, ITO/AlN/glass and ITO/HfO2/glass films were annealed using CO2 laser and electrical oven heating methods. The crystallinity of the ITO film was improved due to the incorporation of AlN and HfO2 buffer layers and also by the post-deposition annealing process. The optical transmittance of the ITO was also increased due to the presence of the buffer layers. Similarly, the annealed ITO films grown on buffer layers exhibited lower values of the sheet resistance as compared to the film deposited without buffer layers. The laser annealing technique was more found to be more effective in reducing the ITO sheet resistance.