Microstructure and electrophysical properties of SnO2, ZnO and In2O3 nanocrystalline films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

The influence of oxygen concentration in the plasma-forming gas on the microstructure, phase composition and electrical conductivity has been investigated for SnO2, ZnO and In2O3 films grown by reactive magnetron sputtering method. The evolution of the oxide microstructure and resistivity under annealing at 400 °C was also studied. The nanocrystallite size remains unaltered for all the investigated films, while the agglomerate size varies significantly depending on the type of oxide and annealing duration. The agglomerate size growth leads to reduction of film resistance and conductivity activation energy.