Degradation of tin-doped indium-oxide film in hydrogen and argon plasma

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Abstract
The degradation of tin-doped indium-oxide (ITO) films in glow-discharge plasmas of hydrogen and argon have been investigated. Parameters which have been varied for the study include the temperature of ITO under ion bombardment, the rf power density, the time of exposure to plasma, and the gas flow rate. After bombardment, scanning electron micrograph observation, measurement of sheet resistance, transmittance and reflectance, and Auger analysis have been carried out to decide the extent of degradation. Magnetron-sputtered ITO films have been found to be more resistant to ion bombardment damage compared to electron-beam evaporated films. The degradation of ITO under the plasma of the reducing species such as hydrogen has been found to take place at lower temperature and power density compared to argon plasma.