Annealing effect on ITO thin films prepared by microwave-enhanced dc reactive magnetron sputtering for telecommunication applications

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited on glass substrates at two different oxygen partial pressures (3.8×10−4 and 1.2×10−3 mbar). After the deposition, these films were annealed for 30 min in air at 200 °C and 400 °C, respectively. The effect of these post-deposition treatments on the structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO thin films has been studied. It has been found that annealing at 200 °C is suitable for improving the properties of these ITO films.