Improving Optical Transmission of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin films prepared by Femtosecond Laser ablation

Indium–tin–oxide (ITO) thin films have been grown by ultrafast
femtosecond laser ablation technique. The films prepared at different
deposition temperature (24 to 400 °C) then annealed at 400 oC for 1h under
vacuum. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of ITO films were
studied as a function of the substrate deposition temperature and compared to
the annealed films. The increase in the deposition temperature resulted in an
increase in the crystallinity as estimated from the preferential direction of ITO
(222), optical transmission also increases, and electrical sheet resistance
decreases. Annealing at 400 oC for 1h under vacuum, cause further increase in
the crystallinity, optical transmission and decrease in the electrical sheet
resistance. These results may help to increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic
cells.