Thermal stability of Sn doped In2O3 film protected by Sb doped SnO2 film deposited by magnetron sputtering

Abstract

Sri doped Indium oxide ([TO) films coated by Sb doped tin oxide (ATO) films with varying thickness were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, and their temperature dependence of electrical and optical properties were examined.]TO and ATO films deposited at 3000 degrees C by using optimized oxygen content yielded resistivity values of 1.04 x 10(-4) and 3.37 x 10(-3) Omega cm, respectively. Annealing of monolithic ITO film in atmospheric environment up to 5000 degrees C resulted in increase of sheet resistance of about 3.5 times. It was shown that the ATO films deposited at 300 degrees C could retard the increase of sheet resistance of dual layer and reduce the final amount of degradation to some extent, but could not give satisfactory protection. The ITO layer covered with ATO film deposited at 5000 degrees C, however, resulted in the increase of sheet resistance of only 1.4 times, and could be used as the substrate with excellent conductivity for dye-sensitized solar cell, in which the sintering of TiO2 nano-particles at elevated temperature as high as 500 degrees C in atmosphere is inevitable to form electrodes.