Deposition of ITO Films by Reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering from a Metallic Rotatable Target
(Room Wabash 3)
10 May 16
2:20 PM
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2:40 PM
Tracks:
High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS), High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS), High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS)
HIPIMS is ideal for the deposition of high quality films from plasmas with a high content of ionized sputtered species. For the fabrication of ITO films, a ceramic target is typically used. However, ceramic targets are expensive, provide low deposition rates, and are a source of energetic negative oxygen ions which cause damage and degradation of film properties. Since HIPIMS makes use of high voltage pulses, problems due to energetic negative ions are a concern. A reactive process using metallic targets will reduce the amount and energy of negative oxygen ions. For a reactive HIPIMS process on lab scale, numerous advantages like, better coverage of complex-shaped surfaces, higher deposition rate compared to non-reactive mode, room temperature deposition, decreased lateral resistivity, and decreased surface roughness are reported. Nevertheless, up-scaling the process to industrial scale still needs reliable control of the oxygen flow over large area rotatable targets. In this work, a reactive HIPIMS process for deposition of ITO from a 0.6 m long rotatable target was investigated. A suitable optical emission control was utilized. A comparison between films deposited from ceramic and metallic targets was performed in terms of deposition rate, film morphology, electrical and optical properties.