Effect of Annealing Temperature on Photoelectric Properties of ITO:Ga/Ti Thin Films for Photosensor Applications

In this study, titanium metal (99.99%) was deposited on quartz glass substrate test specimens by DC magnetron sputtering. Thereafter, radio-frequency magnetron sputtering was used to create an oxide layer of ITO:Ga (97.3 at%) to form a final dual-layer transparent and conductive film on the glass substrate. The film was then annealed at different temperatures under vacuum. The thermal energy rearranged the internal crystalline structure, and this reduced the number of crystalline defects. The multilayer structure of the dual-layer film was explored after annealing: the film thickness, electrical properties, transmission properties, surface structure, grain size, and quality factors were all analyzed. The results showed that the electrical properties of ITO:Ga/Ti improved after annealing at 500 degrees C (100 W; 30 min) and that the resistivity was 6.51 x 10(-4) Omega center dot cm. The average penetration of ITO:Ga/Ti after annealing at 400 degrees C was 87.52%, and after annealing at 500 degrees C, it was 89.70%. The figure of merit was the optimal value of 4.78 x 10(-3) Omega(-1) after annealing at 500 degrees C.