Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films
Due to its excellent electrical conductivity, high transparency in the visible spectrum, and exceptional chemical stability, indium tin oxide (ITO) has become a crucial material in the fields of optoelectronics and nanotechnology. This article provides a thorough analysis of growing ITO thin films w...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Nanomaterials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/7/565 |
| _version_ | 1797212183352836096 |
|---|---|
| author | Hessa I. Alabdan Fahad M. Alsahli Shubhranshu Bhandari Tapas Mallick |
| author_facet | Hessa I. Alabdan Fahad M. Alsahli Shubhranshu Bhandari Tapas Mallick |
| author_sort | Hessa I. Alabdan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to its excellent electrical conductivity, high transparency in the visible spectrum, and exceptional chemical stability, indium tin oxide (ITO) has become a crucial material in the fields of optoelectronics and nanotechnology. This article provides a thorough analysis of growing ITO thin films with various thicknesses to study the impact of thickness on their electrical, optical, and physical properties for solar-cell applications. ITO was prepared through radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using argon gas with no alteration in temperature or changes in substrate heating, followed with annealing in a tube furnace under inert conditions. An investigation of the influence of thickness on the optical, electrical, and physical properties of the films was conducted. We found that the best thickness for ITO thin films was 100 nm in terms of optical, electrical, and physical properties. To gain full comprehension of the impact on electrical properties, the different samples were characterized using a four-point probe and, interestingly, we found a high conductivity in the range of 1.8–2 × 10<sup>6</sup> S/m, good resistivity that did not exceed 1–2 × 10<sup>−6</sup> Ωm, and a sheet resistance lower than 16 Ω sq<sup>−1</sup>. The transparency values found using a spectrophotometer reached values beyond 85%, which indicates the high purity of the thin films. Atomic force microscopy indicated a smooth morphology with low roughness values for the films, indicating an adequate transitioning of the charges on the surface. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the actual thicknesses and the morphology, through which we found no cracks or fractures, which implied excellent deposition and annealing. The X-ray diffraction microscopy results showed a high purity of the crystals, as the peaks (222), (400), (440), and (622) of the crystallographic plane reflections were dominant, which confirmed the existence of the faced-center cubic lattice of ITO. This work allowed us to design a method for producing excellent ITO thin films for solar-cell applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:38:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bace6c493c904ed996b02498f43e6d54 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:38:20Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-bace6c493c904ed996b02498f43e6d542024-04-12T13:23:47ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912024-03-0114756510.3390/nano14070565Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin FilmsHessa I. Alabdan0Fahad M. Alsahli1Shubhranshu Bhandari2Tapas Mallick3Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UKEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UKEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UKEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UKDue to its excellent electrical conductivity, high transparency in the visible spectrum, and exceptional chemical stability, indium tin oxide (ITO) has become a crucial material in the fields of optoelectronics and nanotechnology. This article provides a thorough analysis of growing ITO thin films with various thicknesses to study the impact of thickness on their electrical, optical, and physical properties for solar-cell applications. ITO was prepared through radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using argon gas with no alteration in temperature or changes in substrate heating, followed with annealing in a tube furnace under inert conditions. An investigation of the influence of thickness on the optical, electrical, and physical properties of the films was conducted. We found that the best thickness for ITO thin films was 100 nm in terms of optical, electrical, and physical properties. To gain full comprehension of the impact on electrical properties, the different samples were characterized using a four-point probe and, interestingly, we found a high conductivity in the range of 1.8–2 × 10<sup>6</sup> S/m, good resistivity that did not exceed 1–2 × 10<sup>−6</sup> Ωm, and a sheet resistance lower than 16 Ω sq<sup>−1</sup>. The transparency values found using a spectrophotometer reached values beyond 85%, which indicates the high purity of the thin films. Atomic force microscopy indicated a smooth morphology with low roughness values for the films, indicating an adequate transitioning of the charges on the surface. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the actual thicknesses and the morphology, through which we found no cracks or fractures, which implied excellent deposition and annealing. The X-ray diffraction microscopy results showed a high purity of the crystals, as the peaks (222), (400), (440), and (622) of the crystallographic plane reflections were dominant, which confirmed the existence of the faced-center cubic lattice of ITO. This work allowed us to design a method for producing excellent ITO thin films for solar-cell applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/7/565indium tin oxidethin filmsRF magnetron sputteringthird generation solar cells |
| spellingShingle | Hessa I. Alabdan Fahad M. Alsahli Shubhranshu Bhandari Tapas Mallick Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films Nanomaterials indium tin oxide thin films RF magnetron sputtering third generation solar cells |
| title | Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films |
| title_full | Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films |
| title_fullStr | Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films |
| title_short | Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films |
| title_sort | monolithic use of inert gas for highly transparent and conductive indium tin oxide thin films |
| topic | indium tin oxide thin films RF magnetron sputtering third generation solar cells |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/14/7/565 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hessaialabdan monolithicuseofinertgasforhighlytransparentandconductiveindiumtinoxidethinfilms AT fahadmalsahli monolithicuseofinertgasforhighlytransparentandconductiveindiumtinoxidethinfilms AT shubhranshubhandari monolithicuseofinertgasforhighlytransparentandconductiveindiumtinoxidethinfilms AT tapasmallick monolithicuseofinertgasforhighlytransparentandconductiveindiumtinoxidethinfilms |