Structural and optical properties of thin indium oxide films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Thin indium oxide (In2O3) films were grown on (001) SiO2 by pulsed laser deposition technique at oxygen pressure from 1 to 20 Pa and substrate temperature between 100 and 500 degrees C from ceramic targets. The structural and optical properties of the films were investigated as a function of the growth conditions - oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. Polycrystalline In2O3 films with preferential (111) orientation were produced at oxygen pressure higher than 5 Pa and temperature higher than 100 degrees C. The Raman spectra confirm the cubic structure of the films. The films have transparency between 85 % and 92 % in the 400-2400 nm spectral range. The lowest optical waveguide loss measured is 9 dB/cm for the film grown at the optimum conditions - P(O-2) = 10 Pa and T-s = 300 degrees C.