ITO films sputter-deposited using an ITO target sintered with vanadium oxide additive

Densification of an indium–tin–oxide (tin-doped indium oxide) target was achieved by pressureless sintering in air with a vanadium oxide additive as reported elsewhere by the present authors. In the present work, sputter-deposition using the vanadium-containing ITO target was attempted by RF-magnetron sputtering in an argon atmosphere. A typical film (330 nm thick) deposited at 300°C showed a resistivity of 1.58×10−4 Ω·cm whose value was slightly lower or approximately equal to that of pure ITO films deposited under similar conditions using an ITO target without vanadium addition. The carrier concentration and carrier mobility were 1.03×1021 cm−3 and 38.3 cm2 V·s−1, respectively. The film was colorless and highly transparent (average transmission 81% in the visible range).