Electrical and Optical Properties of In2O3–ZnO Films Deposited on Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrates by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Using a In2O3 and ZnO powder mixture with a ratio of 95:5 in wt% as a target, highly transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films are prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering. These films have amorphous structures with excellent electrical stability, surface uniformity and adhesion to the PET substrate and can be prepared at room temperature. In particular, In2O3–ZnO (IZO) films directly deposited on PET without a hard-coated layer have nearly similar electrical properties, higher transmittance and a more uniform surface in comparison with those deposited on a hard-coated layer of PET. When a TCO material is deposited on PET, IZO is more suitable than indium tin oxide (ITO) in several aspects such as the optical, electrical, and etching properties and its surface uniformity.