Optoelectronic Properties of Indium-Tin Oxide Films Deposited on Flexible and Transparent Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Substrate

In this article, we report the thin-film deposition of indium-tin oxide (ITO) as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) on a flexible and transparent poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrate by RF sputtering. PDMS, an elastomeric polymer, is highly transparent and can withstand much higher temperatures (similar to 200 degrees C) than other commercially used polymers in electronics. In this study, we discussed the Hall electrical measurements and optical transmittance data for ITO thin films on a PDMS substrate. We demonstrated that the transparent PDMS polymer is a new flexible TCO material, with suitable electrical and optical properties for use in electronic devices. An ITO thin film with an electrical resistivity of 3.8x10(-5)Omega cm, a carrier concentration of 5.9x10(21) cm(3), a mobility of 3 cm(2) V(-1)s(-1), and an average transmittance of 83% was achieved on the PDMS polymeric substrate. (C) 2013 The Japan Society of Applied Physics