Electrochromic phenomenon in indium–tin oxide thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

We report for the first time on the adsorbate-induced electrochromic (EC) phenomenon of indium–tin oxide (ITO) films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering with glancing-angle deposition (GLAD) scheme. The optical transmittance of the GLAD-ITO films changed reversibly with a ΔT value of 1.5% at near-ultraviolet region by applying electrical charge. On the other hand, the films deposited without GLAD showed no EC property. It is concluded that the isolated nanocolumnar structure of the GLAD films contributes to the EC behavior due to its large surface area.