HIGH-TEMPERATURE ANNEALING OF ITO (In2O3: Sn) OXIDE FILMS IN VACUUM AND NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENTS

ITO (In2O3:Sn) films, synthesized under optimal conditions at 550°C for 0.75 hours, exhibited a transparency of over 90%, a surface resistance of 300 Ω/sq, and a resistivity (ρ) of 9.4 × 10⁻³ Ω·cm. High-temperature annealing was employed to reduce the resistance of these resistive coatings. This method facilitates the elimination of inhomogeneities that may be present in the coating prior to heat treatment. Initially, the coating expands due to the coalescence of vacancies; subsequently, at higher temperatures, it contracts as a result of the annihilation of vacancies and the formation of dislocation loops. Parallel experiments conducted on three samples at each temperature demonstrated the reproducibility of the results.