Showing papers on "Indium tin oxide published in 1998"

Tin doped indium oxide thin films: Electrical properties

Abstract: Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) films are highly transparent in the visible region, exhibiting high reflectance in the infrared region, and having nearly metallic conductivity. Owing to this unusual combination of electrical and optical properties, this material is widely applied in optoelectronic devices. The association of these properties in a single material explains the vast domain of its applicability and the diverse production methods which have emerged. Although the different properties of tin doped indium oxide in the film form are interdependent, this article mainly focuses on the electrical aspects. Detailed description of the conduction mechanism and the main parameters that control the conductivity is presented. On account of the large varieties and differences in the fabrication techniques, the electrical properties of ITO films are discussed and compared within each technique.

Electrochemical determination of the ionization potential and electron affinity of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene)

Abstract: We report cyclic voltammetry measurements for the blue electroluminescent conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene). Both oxidation and reduction potentials are determined and thus estimates of both the ionization potential Ip and electron affinity Ea of the polymer are obtained for the same sample under the same experimental conditions. We estimate Ip=5.80 eV and Ea=2.12 eV. These results disagree with the common assumption that Ea is, to good approximation, given by the difference between Ip and the optical gap. Measurements on indium tin oxide/polyfluorene/calcium light emitting diode structures are consistent with the deductions from the electrochemical data.

Indium-tin oxide treatments for single- and double-layer polymeric light-emitting diodes: The relation between the anode physical, chemical, and morphological properties and the device performance

Abstract: We report combined studies of the influence of chemical and physical treatments on the properties of indium–tin oxide (ITO) thin films. The ITO films were also used as transparent anodes of polymeric light-emitting diodes (LEDs) incorporating poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) as the emitter material, with, or without, doped poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as a hole-injection/transport layer. Structures based on a soluble green derivative of PPV, poly(4,4′-diphenylene diphenylvinylene) were also tested. We studied chemical (aquaregia, degreasing, RCA protocol) and physical (oxygen and argon plasmas, Teflon, and paper rubbing) treatments and, in contrast to recently published work, we find that for Balzer Baltracon ITO, oxygen plasma and not aquaregia yields the highest efficiencies and luminances and the lowest drive voltages. For oxygen-plasma-treated anodes, the device efficiency clearly correlates with the value of the ITO surface work function, which in turn depends on the time of treatment. I...

Electroluminescence from heterostructures of poly(phenylene vinylene) and inorganic CdSe nanocrystals

Abstract: Electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) from heterostructure thin films made of organic poly (phenylene vinylene), PPV, and inorganic semiconductor CdSe nanocrystals are investigated. In these devices, the organic PPV structure is built next to an indium tin oxide anode, using the technique of molecular layer-by-layer sequential adsorption, and serves primarily as the hole transport layer. The inorganic layer, adjacent to an Al electrode, is made of spin cast CdSe nanocrystals, passivated with either organic groups or with a wider band gap semiconductor, e.g., ZnS in the present case. We find that the electroluminescence signal is almost exclusively generated within the inorganic layer, with a very weak contribution from the PPV layer at higher applied voltage. The performance of these heterostructure devices is influenced by the thickness of the dot layer. Lifetime tests reveal promising stability, with devices operating continuously over 50–100 h. Values of the external quantum efficiency, η...

A metal-free cathode for organic semiconductor devices

Abstract: We introduce a class of low-reflectivity, high-transparency, nonmetallic cathodes useful for a wide range of electrically active, transparent organic devices. The metal-free cathode employs a thin film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) capped with a film of low-power, radio-frequency sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO). The CuPc prevents damage to the underlying organic layers during the ITO sputtering process. We present a model suggesting that damage-induced states at the cathode/organic film interface are responsible for the electron injection properties of the contact. Due to the low contact reflectivity, a non-antireflection-coated, metal-free transparent organic light-emitting device (MF-TOLED) is demonstrated with 85% transmission in the visible, emitting nearly identical amounts of light in the forward and backscattered directions. The MF-TOLED performance is found to be comparable to that of conventional TOLEDs employing a more reflective and absorptive cathode consisting of a semitransparent thin fil...

Transparent conducting ZnO thin films prepared by XeCl excimer laser ablation

Abstract: Highly conductive and transparent aluminum- and gallium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al and ZnO:Ga) thin films in place of indium tin oxide films have been prepared by using XeCl excimer laser ablation at relatively low temperatures. The impurity content of Al or Ga in the ZnO target was optimized on the basis of the measurements of resistivity, carrier concentration, and Hall mobility of the deposited transparent conducting ZnO films. The effects of substrate temperature on the properties of ZnO films were investigated. The crystalline, electrical and optical properties of the films were found to depend directly on substrate temperature during deposition. The minimum resistivity of 1.4×10−4 Ω cm was obtained for the ZnO:Al film prepared at a substrate temperature of 300 °C using a ZnO target with an Al2O3 content of 1% by weight (wt %). Moreover, the ZnO:Al film prepared at a substrate temperature of 100 °C showed a low resistivity value of 2.5×10−4 Ω cm. As for the ZnO:Ga film, on the other hand, the minimum r...

New Triarylamine-Containing Polymers as Hole Transport Materials in Organic Light-Emitting Diodes: Effect of Polymer Structure and Cross-Linking on Device Characteristics

Abstract: A series of poly(norbornenes) with pendant triarylamine (TPA) groups has been synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization and investigated as hole transport materials in organic two-layer light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Efficient device fabrication through spin casting of the hole transport layer (HTL) was possible, since the polymers exhibited excellent film formation properties. LEDs of the form ITO/poly(norbornene)-TPA/Alq3/Mg (ITO = indium tin oxide, Alq3 = tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum) showed bright green emission with external quantum efficiencies of up to 0.77% (1.30 lm/W) for 20 nm thick HTL films. The length and polarity of the linker between the triarylamine functionality and the polymer backbone were varied systematically. The device performance was found to depend strongly on these structural differences. Substitution of ester groups by less polar ether functionalities greatly enhances external quantum efficiencies, lowers the operating voltage, and improves the stability of the device....

Effects of thermal annealing on the indium tin oxide Schottky contacts of n-GaN

Abstract: In this work indium tin oxide (ITO) films were prepared using electron beam evaporation to form Schottky contacts on n-type GaN films. The thermal stability of ITO on n-type GaN was also investigated by annealing the samples at various temperatures. In addition, current–voltage (I–V) measurements were taken to deduce the Schottky barrier heights. Owing to the large series resistance, the Norde method was used to plot the F(V)–V curves and the effective Schottky barrier heights were determined as well. The effective Schottky barrier heights were 0.68, 0.88, 0.94, and 0.95 eV for nonannealed, 400, 500, and 600 °C annealed samples, respectively. Results presented herein indicate that an increase of the barrier heights may be attributed to the formation of an interfacial layer at the ITO/GaN interface after annealing.

The dielectrophoretic movement and positioning of a biological cell using a three-dimensional grid electrode system

Abstract: We describe a three-dimensional grid electrode system, in which a biological cell can be precisely moved or positioned by positive and negative dielectrophoresis. The electrode system consists of two glass plates, on which parallel strip electrodes are fabricated, placed together with a spacer between them so that their electrodes face each other and cross at right angles to form the grid. The microelectrodes of width and spacing have been fabricated using two different materials and methods. For one method, electrodes of thin gold-on-chrome film on a glass substrate were fabricated using photolithography, whilst the other method employed excimer laser ablation of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films on glass. The ITO electrodes have the advantage over conventional metal electrodes of higher optical transparency, which allows visual observation of cells' behaviour in three dimensions. It has been demonstrated that a plant protoplast, whose diameter was almost identical to the electrode's size, could be continuously moved between grid intersections by controlling the magnitude and frequency of the ac signals applied to the electrodes.

Space-charge-limited charge injection from indium tin oxide into a starburst amine and its implications for organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract: We have investigated the hole-injection characteristics from indium tin–oxide (ITO) into 4,4′,4″-tris{N,-(3-methylphenyl)-N-phenylamino}triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and have measured the hole-carrier drift mobility of this compound in single-layer ITO/m-MTDATA/Au structures. We have found that ITO is able to provide trap-free space-charge-limited currents over a wide range of film thicknesses and have established unambiguously that the ITO/m-MTDATA is an ideal Ohmic contact at high electric fields. Our observations clarify the role of m-MTDATA as a voltage-lowering hole-injecting buffer layer in organic light-emitting diodes.

Energy-level alignment at model interfaces of organic electroluminescent devices studied by UV photoemission: trend in the deviation from the traditional way of estimating the interfacial electronic structures

Abstract: The electronic structures of model interfaces of organic electroluminescent (EL) devices were investigated with UV photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). Interfaces of TTN (tetrathianaphthacene) and TCNQ (tetracyanoquinodimethane) were also studied as extreme cases for hole transport and electron transport material, respectively. For all organic/metal interfaces studied, the work function of metal electrode was changed by deposition of organic layer, i.e., the vacuum level was shifted at the interface, indicating the invalidity of the traditional energy level alignment model where a common vacuum level was assumed at organic/metal interface. At TCNQ/Au, DP-NTCI/Al, which are acceptor/metal interfaces, upward shift of the vacuum level of organic layer relative to that of metal was observed, suggesting the formation of interfacial dipole due to electron-transfer from metal to acceptor. At other organic/metal interfaces, TPD(N, N'-diphenyl-N, N'-(3-methylphenyl)-1, 1'-biphenyl-4, 4'-diamine)/Au or ITO (indium tin oxide), ALq/sub 3/ (tris(8-hydroxyquinolino) aluminum)/Al, DP-NTCl(N, N'-diphenyl-1,4,5,8- naphthyltetracarboxylimide)/Al or Au, downward shift of the vacuum level was observed. Such downward shift has been also observed in our previous study for porphyrin/metal interfaces, and seems to be a trend for organic/metal interfaces at which no electron-transfer from metal to organic layer occurs. This trend suggests that the traditional model tends to underestimate (overestimate) the barrier height for hole (electron) injection. On the other hand, the vacuum level shift at ALq/sub 3//TPD interface was less than 0.1 eV, leading to an apparent applicability of the traditional model. However, it is not always the case for organic/organic interfaces: finite shift of 0.2 eV was observed at TTN/TCNQ interface due to electron-transfer from TTN to TCNQ. Possible origins of vacuum level shift at organic/metal interfaces were also discussed.

Characterization and Surface Charge Measurement of Self-Assembled CdS Nanoparticle Films

Abstract: The self-assembly of CdS semiconductor nanocrystals (Q-CdS) as well-defined monolayer and multilayer films on glass, indium tin oxide, and gold surfaces was carried out. These were characterized by ultraviolet−visible spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and scanning tunneling microscopy. The adsorption of the polymeric anion hexametaphosphate (HMP) on the Q-CdS particle surface produced a negative surface charge. The diffuse double-layer interaction forces between a silica probe and the Q-CdS/HMP particle film-covered gold substrate immersed in aqueous solutions were measured using an atomic force microscope. The surface charge and electrostatic potential of Q-CdS particles were obtained by theoretical fits of the force data to solutions of the complete nonlinear Poisson−Boltzmann equation with a knowledge of the silica probe surface potential.

Ultra-low-threshold field emission from conjugated polymers

Abstract: Field-emission displays contain materials that emit electrons when charged to a low (negative) potential; the electrons excite light emission from phosphor screens. These devices have the potential to provide flat-panel visual displays with good picture quality at low power consumption and low cost1. Field-emission devices at present use arrays of microfabricated tips as the emitting cathodes, but a potentially cheaper and simpler alternative is to use a thin-film cathode. This requires the identification of materials that will emit an appreciable electron current at low applied fields. Nitrogen-doped, chemical-vapour-deposited diamond films2 and amorphous carbon films3 have been explored for this purpose. The low electron affinity4, wide bandgap and excellent transport properties5 of some conducting organic polymers suggest that they might also provide good cathode materials. Here we demonstrate that this is so, reporting field emission from thin films of regioregular poly(3-octylthiophene) deposited on n-doped silicon, with indium tin oxide as the anode. The threshold fields that we measure for electron emission from these films are the lowest yet reported for any carbon-based material.

Electrochromic window with high reflectivity modulation

Abstract: A multi-layered, active, thin film, solid-state electrochromic device having a high reflectivity in the near infrared in a colored state, a high reflectivity and transmissivity modulation when switching between colored and bleached states, a low absorptivity in the near infrared, and fast switching times, and methods for its manufacture and switching are provided. In one embodiment, a multi-layered device comprising a first indium tin oxide transparent electronic conductor, a transparent ion blocking layer, a tungsten oxide electrochromic anode, a lithium ion conducting-electrically resistive electrolyte, a complimentary lithium mixed metal oxide electrochromic cathode, a transparent ohmic contact layer, a second indium oxide transparent electronic conductor, and a silicon nitride encapsulant is provided. Through elimination of optional intermediate layers, simplified device designs are provided as alternative embodiments. Typical colored-state reflectivity of the multi-layered device is greater than 50% in the near infrared, bleached-state reflectivity is less than 40% in the visible, bleached-state transmissivity is greater than 60% in the near infrared and greater than 40% in the visible, and spectral absorbance is less than 50% in the range from 0.65-2.5 μm.

Enhancement of the quantum efficiency and stability of electroluminescence from porous silicon by anodic passivation

Abstract: The use of anodic oxidation as a post-treatment of porous silicon has been investigated to enhance the external quantum efficiency of electroluminescence from a device based on a thin transparent indium tin oxide contact on porosified n+-type silicon. Enhancement in external quantum efficiency of three orders of magnitude has been obtained. We report here an external quantum efficiency of 0.21%. The treatment also greatly improves the stability of the device. Results can be explained by the fact that anodic oxidation considerably reduces leakage current flowing via nonconfined silicon.

High-efficiency, low-drive-voltage, semitransparent stacked organic light-emitting device

Abstract: We report a semitransparent, two-color, stacked organic light-emitting device (SOLED) with high efficiency, low drive voltage, and minimal color distortion. The SOLED emits light from both device surfaces. The external quantum efficiencies of the green and red stacked elements are 1% and 0.4%, respectively, where only the photons emitted from the substrate surface are collected. The drive voltage for the top stack element is decreased to ∼12 V by using a modified indium tin oxide thin film deposition process. Color distortion and angular dependence of the emission spectra are minimal.

High-speed maskless laser patterning of indium tin oxide thin films

Abstract: Patterning characteristics of indium tin oxide thin films using different wavelengths of a diode-pumped Q-switched Nd:YLF and a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser have been studied. While a ripplelike structure in the etched line was formed due to incomplete material removal when the first harmonic of the Nd:YLF or Nd:YAG laser was used, a residue-free line could be obtained using the fourth harmonic of the Nd:YLF laser even at higher scan speeds. The observed differences in the morphology could be attributed to different absorption characteristics at the infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. High process speeds in excess of 1 m/s could be achieved.

Device physics of polymer light-emitting diodes

Abstract: This article reviews a device model for the current and light generation of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The model is based on experiments carried out on poly(dialkoxy-p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) devices. The transport properties of holes in PPV have been investigated with indium tin oxide (ITO)/PPV/Au hole-only devices. The hole current is dominated by bulk conduction properties of the PPV, in contrast to previous reports. As the hole current is space-charge limited, the hole mobility as a function of electric field E and temperature T can be directly determined. The hole mobility exhibits a field dependence ln(μ) ∼ ✓E as also has been observed from time-of-flight experiments in many molecularly doped polymers and amorphous glasses. For the zero-field hole mobility an activation energy of 0.48 eV is obtained. The electron conduction in PPV has been studied by using Ca/PPV/Ca electron-only devices. It appears that the electron current is strongly reduced by the presence of traps with a total density of 1018 cm−3. Combining the results of electron- and hole-only devices a device model for PLEDs is proposed in which the light generation is due to bimolecular recombination between the injected electrons and holes. It is calculated that the unbalanced electron and hole transport gives rise to a bias-dependent efficiency. By comparison with experiment it is found that the recombination process in PPV is for 95% nonradiative. Furthermore, the experiments reveal that the bimolecular recombination process is thermally activated with an identical activation energy as measured for the charge carrier mobility. This demonstrates that the recombination process is of the Langevin-type, in which the rate-limiting step is the diffusion of electrons and holes towards each other. The occurrence of Langevin recombination explains why the conversion efficiency (photon/carrier) of a PLED is temperature independent. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A time-resolved reflectivity study of the amorphous-to-crystalline transformation kinetics in dc-magnetron sputtered indium tin oxide

Abstract: Amorphous tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) was deposited to a thickness of 110 nm on 〈100〉-oriented Si substrates at ∼40–60 °C by dc-magnetron sputtering under a total Ar pressure of 2 Pa. The kinetics of crystallization of the a-ITO films in flowing N2 were investigated by in situ time-resolved reflectivity. The microstructure of the films in the as-deposited, partially recrystallized and fully regrown conditions was established using a combination of plan view and cross-section transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The experimental reflectivity vs time curves were analyzed using classical nucleation and growth kinetic analysis. Various transformation models are proposed and are combined with Fresnel reflectivity calculations for direct comparison to the experimentally obtained data. The activation energy for the crystallization in flowing N2 of these amorphous ITO films in N2 gas was found to be 0.67±0.18 eV.