• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.33-36
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• 2015

It has increased several decades in the field of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) transparent thin film, However, a major problem with this ITO thin film application is high cost compared with other transparent thin film materials[1]. So far, in order to overcome this disadvantage, we show that a transparent ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film electrode would be more cost-effective and it has not only highly transparent but also conductive properties. The aim of this research has therefore been to try and establish how ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film would be more effective than ITO thin film. Herein, we report the properties of ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film by using optical spectroscopic method and measuring sheet resistance. At a certain total thickness of thin film, sheet resistance of ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer was drastically decreased than ITO layer approximately $40{\Omega}/{\Box}$ at same visible light transmittance. (minimal point $5.2{\Omega}/{\Box}$). Tendency, which shows lowly sheet resistive in a certain transmittance, has been observed, hence, it should be suitable for transparent electrode device.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 2011

The multi-layered thin film with an ITO/Ag/ITO structure was produced on PET by using magnetron reactive sputtering method. First, 30 nm of ITO thin film was coated on PET by using normal temperature process. Then 20-52 nm of the Ag thin film was coated. Lastly, 30 nm of ITO thin film was coated on Ag layer. The sample of the 20 nm Ag thin film showed more than 70% transmission and a $2.7{\Omega}/{\Box}$ sheet resistance. When compared to the existing single-layered transparent conducting thin film, multi-layered film was found to be superior with about $5{\Omega}/{\Box}$ less sheet resistance. However, since the Ag layer became thinner, the band gap energy needs to be increased to more than 3.5 eV.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.490-496
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• 2006

ITO monolayer and ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer thin films are prepared by D.C. magnetron sputtering method. Ag layer was inserted for applying ITO to a flexible substrate at low temperature. Carrier concentration and carrier mobility of ITO and ITO/Ag/ITO thin films were measured, the transmittance of them also was done. The amorphous phase was confirmed to be combined in addition to (400) and (440) peaks from XRD result of ITO thin film. As the substrate temperature increased, the preferred orientation of (400) appeared. From the result of application of Ag layer at room temperature, the growth of columnar structure was inhibited, and the amorphous phase formed mostly. The ITO/Ag/ITO thin film represented the transmittance of above 80% when the thickness of Ag layer was 50 ${\AA}$, and the concentration of carrier increased up to above 10 times than that of ITO thin film. Finally, since very low resistance of 3.9${\Omega}/{\square}$ was observed, the effective application of low temperature process is expected to be possible for ITO thin film.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.288-289
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• 2011

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is a typical highly Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) currently used as a transparent electrode material. Most widely used deposition method is the sputtering process for ITO film deposition because it has a high deposition rate, allows accurate control of the film thickness and easy deposition process and high electrical/optical properties. However, to apply high quality ITO thin film in a flexible microelectronic device using a plastic substrate, conventional DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) processed ITO thin film is not suitable because it needs a high temperature thermal annealing process to obtain high optical transmittance and low resistivity, while the generally plastic substrates has low glass transition temperatures. In the room temperature sputtering process, the electrical property degradation of ITO thin film is caused by negative oxygen ions effect. This high energy negative oxygen ions(about over 100eV) can be critical physical bombardment damages against the formation of the ITO thin film, and this damage does not recover in the room temperature process that does not offer thermal annealing. Hence new ITO deposition process that can provide the high electrical/optical properties of the ITO film at room temperature is needed. To solve these limitations we develop the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) system. The MFSS is based on DMS and it has the plasma limiter, which compose the permanent magnet array (Fig.1). During the ITO thin film deposition in the MFSS process, the electrons in the plasma are trapped by the magnetic field at the plasma limiters. The plasma limiter, which has a negative potential in the MFSS process, prevents to the damage by negative oxygen ions bombardment, and increases the heat(-) up effect by the Ar ions in the bulk plasma. Fig. 2. shows the electrical properties of the MFSS ITO thin film and DMS ITO thin film at room temperature. With the increase of the sputtering pressure, the resistivity of DMS ITO increases. On the other hand, the resistivity of the MFSS ITO slightly increases and becomes lower than that of the DMS ITO at all sputtering pressures. The lowest resistivity of the DMS ITO is $1.0{\times}10-3{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ and that of the MFSS ITO is $4.5{\times}10-4{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$. This resistivity difference is caused by the carrier mobility. The carrier mobility of the MFSS ITO is 40 $cm^2/V{\cdot}s$, which is significantly higher than that of the DMS ITO (10 $cm^2/V{\cdot}s$). The low resistivity and high carrier mobility of the MFSS ITO are due to the magnetic field shielded effect. In addition, although not shown in this paper, the roughness of the MFSS ITO thin film is lower than that of the DMS ITO thin film, and TEM, XRD and XPS analysis of the MFSS ITO show the nano-crystalline structure. As a result, the MFSS process can effectively prevent to the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment and supply activation energies by accelerating Ar ions in the plasma; therefore, high quality ITO can be deposited at room temperature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.404-405
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• 2007

Tin-doped indium thin film is outstanding material among transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) materials. ITO thin films show a low electrical resistance(<$10^{-4}\;[{\Omega}{\cdot}m]$) and high transmittance(>80%) in the visible range. ITO thin films usually have been deposited on the glass substrate. In order to apply flexible display, the substrate should have the ability to bend and be deposited without substrate heat. Also properties of ITO thin film depend on what kind of substrate. In this study, we prepared ITO thin film on the polycarbonate (PC) substrate by using Facing Target Sputtering (FTS) system. Before deposition of ITO thin film, PC substrate took plasma surface treatment. The electrical and surface properties of as-deposited thin films were investigated by Hall Effect measurement, UV/VIS spectrometer and the surface property of substrate is investigated by Contact angle measurement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.187-187
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• 2015

The past thirty years have seen increasingly rapid advances in the field of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) transparent thin film.[1] However, a major problem with this ITO thin film application is high cost compared with other transparent thin film materials.[2] So far, in order to overcome this disadvantage, we show a transparent ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film electrode can be the solution. In comparison with using amount of ITO as a transparent conducting material, intrinsic-Zinc-Oxide (i-ZnO) based on ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film showed cost-effective and it has not only highly transparent but also conductive properties. The aim of this research has therefore been to try and establish how ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film would be more effective than ITO thin film. Herein, we report ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer thin film properties by using optical spectroscopic method and measuring sheet resistance. At a certain total thickness of thin film, sheet resistance of ITO/Ag/i-ZnO multilayer was drastically decreased than ITO layer approximately $40{\Omega}/{\square}$ at same visible light transmittance.(minimal point $5.2{\Omega}/{\square}$). Tendency, which shows lowly sheet resistive in a certain transmittance, has been observed, hence, it should be suitable for transparent electrode device.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.354-355
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• 2005

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film was polished by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) by the change of process parameters for the improvement of electrical and optical properties of ITO thin film. Light transparent efficiency of ITO thin film was improved after CMP process at the optimized process parameters compared to that before CMP process.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.151-153
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• 2005

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film was polished by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) by the change of process parameters for the improvement of electrical and optical properties of ITO thin film. Light transparent efficiency of ITO thin film was improved after CMP process at the optimized process parameters compared to that before CMP process.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.267-270
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• 2006

The Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited on CR39 substrate using DC magnetron sputtering. ITO thin films deposited at room temperature because CR39 substrates its glass-transition temperature of is $130^{\circ}C$. ITO thin films used bottom and top electrode and for organic thin film transparent transistor.(OTFT) ITO thin film electrodes electrical properties and optical transparency properties in the visible wavelength range (300 - 800 nm) strongly dependent on volume of oxygen percent. For the optimum resistivity and transparency of ITO thin film electrode achieved with a 75 W plasma power, 10 % volume of oxygen and a 27 nm/min deposition rate. Above 85 % transparency in the visible wavelength range (300 - 800 nm) measured without post annealing process and $9.83{times}10{-4}{\Omega}cm$ a low resistivity was measured thickness of 300 nm.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.229-233
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• 2007

The indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited on CR39 substrate using DC magnetron sputtering. The ITO thin films deposited at room temperature because CR39 substrate its glass-transition temperature is $130^{\circ}C$. The ITO thin films used bottom and top electrode and for organic thin film transparent transistors (OTFTs). The ITO thin film electrodes electrical properties and optical transparency properties in the visible wavelength range (300-800 nm) strongly dependent on volume of oxygen percent. For the optimum resistivity and transparency of the ITO thin film electrode achieved with a 75 W plasma power, 10 % volume of oxygen and a 27 nm/min deposition rate. Above 85 % transparency in the visible wavelength range (300-800 nm) measured without post annealing process and a low resistivity value $9.83{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$ was measured thickness of 300 nm. All fabrication process of ITO thin films did not exceed $80^{\circ}C$.