Preparation of indium tin oxide (ITO) with a single-phase structure

A thin film of indium tin oxide (ITO) exhibits both high transmittance in the visible region and high electrical conductivity, being used widely in opto-electronic applications. Studies were conducted on the preparation of ITO with a single-phase structure. A new process was developed on the basis of precipitation from a homogenous solution. Experiments show that a proper precursor is the key to obtain ITO with a single-phase structure, and the presence of organic additive has a great influence on the mechanism of precipitation and the structure of the precursor. ITO from this process can be used in the manufacturing of an ITO target for sputtering.