HIPIMS ITO films from a rotating cylindrical cathode

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) allows the deposition of thin films from plasmas with high metallic ion content. For several applications, indium tin oxide (ITO) films were successfully deposited by HIPIMS from planar ceramic targets, e.g. for ice-free windshields or shaped glass tubes. These films present good conductivity as well as high wear resistance, derived from their nanocrystalline structure. With respect to industrial implementation, the use of rotatable cylindrical cathodes as a promising alternative due to their many advantages like better material utilization, longer durability, or reduced arcing is studied. In this work, ITO films were produced from a rotating cylindrical cathode by HIPIMS and DC magnetron sputtering. The influence of process parameters (average power, voltage, peak current and pressure) on the resulting film properties was investigated. All depositions were performed at room temperature, followed by annealing steps. Electrical and optical properties were analyzed and the process stability investigated. Highly transparent films were obtained with resistivity between 300 and 400 μΩ cm.