Preparation and characterization of tantalum-doped indium tin oxide films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Tantalum-doped indium tin oxide films were deposited by co-sputtering with two-targets. Tantalum-doping strengthened the orientation of the (4 0 0) plane and resulted in better crystalline structure, larger grain size and lower surface roughness. Tantalum-doping also revealed better optical–electrical properties and a larger optical band gap. Carrier concentration was increased by tantalum-doping, which had an important influence on optical–electrical properties.