Deposition of InxOy and SnOx thin films on polymer substrate by means of atmospheric barrier-torch discharge

Barrier torch discharge was used for low temperature deposition of InxOy and SnOx thin films at atmospheric pressure on polymer substrates. Vapors of Sn- and In-acetylacetonat were used as growth precursors for the deposition process of SnOx and InxOy thin films. Transparent films of conductivity sigma(SnO) approximate to 10 S/cm for SnOx and sigma(lnO) = 10(2) S/cm for InxOy were deposited on polymer substrates under conditions when the atmospheric plasma jet directly interacted with the polymer substrate. Plasma jet excitation had to be pulse modulated in order to avoid thermal damages of the polymer substrate. SnOx and InxOy were also deposited in a different discharge mode, in which interaction of the light emitting plasma jet with the substrate did not directly occur. In this case, the films had pure adhesion and had electrical conductivity lower than sigma < 10(-3) S/cm. The analysis by an electron microprobe system has shown that the films had chemical composition close to SnO2 and In2O3, respectively. XRD diffraction did not confirm any crystalline phase in all the deposited samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.