ANNEALING AND SB-DOPING OF SN-O FILMS PRODUCED BY FILTERED VACUUM-ARC DEPOSITION - STRUCTURE AND ELECTROOPTICAL PROPERTIES

Tin oxide films were deposited using a filtered vacuum are at rates up to 10 nm s(-1). Optimal results were obtained with a 160 A are when the deposition pressure was in the range 6-9 mTorr. The structure of the films was amorphous if the deposition temperature, or the post-deposition annealing temperature, was less than 350 degrees C, while films containing orthorhombic, tetragonal, and amorphous phases were obtained at higher temperatures. Annealing or substrate heating with temperatures within the amorphous range improved the conductivity considerably, and was accompanied by increases in the optical gap, carrier density, and carrier mobility. The improvements are attributed to greater short-range ordering. Annealing or substrate heating into the crystalline range yielded higher resistivity films. Sb doping did not decrease the resistivity of the amorphous films. The lowest resistivities obtained, (5-7) x 10(-4) Ohm cm, were equal to or less than any reported in the literature for undoped Sn-O films, and were obtained at deposition rates considerably higher than with other techniques.