Stage-by-stage formation of superficial nanostructures in ITO films reduced by H2-GD at low temperature (100 °C) for applications on plastic substrates
The formation of superficial nanostructures (SNs) in reduced indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films by H2-Glow discharge (GD) at a low reduction temperature (Tr = 100 °C) was investigated. Sputtered ITO films deposited at low (Td = 100 °C) and high (Td = 300 °C) temperatures were reduced using this low-t...
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Published in | Nanotechnology Vol. 31; no. 37 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
IOP Publishing
11.09.2020
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The formation of superficial nanostructures (SNs) in reduced indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films by H2-Glow discharge (GD) at a low reduction temperature (Tr = 100 °C) was investigated. Sputtered ITO films deposited at low (Td = 100 °C) and high (Td = 300 °C) temperatures were reduced using this low-temperature process. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy were applied to study the evolution of the nanostructural features and three stages were identified: emerging/densification, coalescence, and depletion stages. The structural characteristics of the SNs were characterized by grazing incidence and conventional θ/2θ x-ray diffractions showing that at Tr = 100 °C, the reduction process was limited to the surface region in which the ion bombardment had influence. The mean diameter, , of the SNs in ITO deposited on the glass substrate was controlled from ∼10-90 nm and the SN densities, d, were obtained from ∼109-1011 SNs cm−2. Finally, the superficial nanostructures were successfully formed in ITO films deposited on flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates. It was demonstrated that, on these substrates, is possible to obtain a uniform distribution in the size and density of the SNs, with = 9.5-20.7 nm and d = 2.66 × 1011-4.20 × 1010 SNs cm−2. |
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Bibliography: | NANO-125990.R1 |
ISSN: | 0957-4484 1361-6528 |
DOI: | 10.1088/1361-6528/ab991e |