Influence of Magnetic Field Near the Substrate on Characteristics of ITO Film Deposited by RF Sputtering Method

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method, magnets were equipped near the target in the sputter to bring the plasma near the target. The effect of magnetic field that brings the plasma near the substrate was compared with that of substrate heating. The effect of substrate heating on the grain size of the ITO thin film was larger than that of the magnetic field. However, the grain size of the ITO thin film was larger when the magnetic field was applied near the substrate during the sputtering process than when the substrate was not heated and the magnetic field was not applied. If stronger magnetic field is applied near the substrate during sputtering, it can be expected that the ITO thin film with good electrical conductivity and high transparency is obtained at low substrate temperature. When magnetic field of 90 Gauss was applied near the substrate during sputtering, the mobility of the ITO thin film increased from 15.2 <TEX>$cm^2/V.s$</TEX> to 23.3 <TEX>$cm^2/V.s$</TEX>, whereas the sheet resistivity decreased from 7.68 <TEX>${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$</TEX> to 5.11 <TEX>${\Omega}{\cdot}cm$</TEX>.