Deposition of Amorphous Zinc Indium Tin Oxide and Indium Tin Oxide Films on Flexible Poly(ether sulfone) Substrate Using RF Magnetron Co-sputtering System

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 2010-03, Vol.49 (3), p.035801-035801-5
• Main Authors: Heo, Gi-Seok, Matsumoto, Yuji, Gim, In-Gi, Park, Jong-Woon, Kim, Gwang-Young, Kim, Tae-Won
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-4922; 1347-4065
• DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.49.035801

Zn--In--Sn-O (ZITO) and In--Sn-O (ITO) thin films were deposited at room temperature on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) substrates using a combinatorial rf magnetron co-sputtering system. The cationic contents of the films were varied using a compositionally combinatorial technique. The average optical transmittance of the ZITO films was ${>}80$% in the visible region. The ZITO films showed an amorphous phase regardless of the zinc content. A minimum resistivity of $4.1\times 10^{-4}$ $\Omega$$\cdot$cm was obtained at a zinc content of 8.9 at. % [$\text{Zn}/(\text{In}+ \text{Zn}+ \text{Sn})$]. The amorphous ZITO films deposited on flexible substrates had good mechanical durability against external dynamic stress, as measured using a bending test. Overall, the characteristics of the ZITO films were comparable or superior to those of the amorphous ITO films, and thus ZITO films may serve as a viable, low-cost alternative for electrode applications in flexible organic light-emitting diodes or organic solar cells.