Roll-to-roll sputtering of indium tin oxide layers onto ultrathin flexible glass

Ultrathin flexible glass is a material with fascinating properties. However, the handling of the glass as well as the reliable and cost effective deposition of coatings onto its surface are decisive for creating attractive application cases. Indium-tin-oxide coatings were deposited onto the glass in a specially designed roll-to- roll coating machine. The substrate was heated while it was moved through the deposition zone. The minimum sheet resistance and the resistivity of these layers were 11 Omega(squ) and 1.5 x 10(-4) Omega cm, respectively. The surface topography of the samples was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The measurement revealed that the roughness of the samples shows a minimum for substrate temperatures of 190 degrees C during the deposition.