Indium–tin oxide films obtained by extraction pyrolysis

Abstract

Thin indium–tin oxide (ITO) films were obtained by pyrolysis of solutions of indium and tin extracts on glass substrates. The extraction pyrolysis (EP) technology uses inexpensive starting compounds and provides the required stoichiometric ratio of elements due to complete mixing of precursors in the organic solution. The thermal decomposition of the extracts occurs in a narrow temperature range of 350– 400°C. X Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies showed that the ITO films obtained by extraction pyrolysis have no impurities including carbon. The films have a nanocrystalline structure with a grain size of ~6 nm according to XRD, AFM, and TEM studies. The optical transmission spectra showed that the films were highly transparent in the visible region of the spectrum and absorbed IR radiation at long and medium wavelengths.