Combustion Flame Deposition of ITO Films

We are developing an inexpensive and versatile 'vapor phase deposition' process for deposition of high quality dense oxide films on supporting substrates. For example, fully dense Si02 films on quartz substrates have been deposited at rates as high as 10 microns/min at <500 C. The patented process, called combustion flame deposition (CFD), uses a flat flame combustion unit, that is capable of sustained operation at low pressures in the range 10-50 mbar in an UHV unit. The process, which is similar to MOCVD, has significant advantages over MOCVD (or other deposition techniques) in terms of efficiency, cleanliness, repeatability, deposition rate, uniformity, and most important, scaleability. CFD is capable of uniform deposition over very large areas at high rates, literally as wide as we make the combustor. ITO transparent conductive films used as electrodes in flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal, electroluminescent and active matrix displays, represent a significant market. They are also used as energy efficient windows, solar cells and even in biological systems. We propose to use the CFD process to (1) demonstrate high quality ITO (Indium-tin oxide) deposition on 3" diameter glass substrates in our existing apparatus in Phase I of the program, and (2) implement 1 meter wide continuous feed uniform deposition for routine and economical film coating in Phase II. We will demonstrate IT0 films with transmissions of 80%-90% in the visible region, and resistivities as low as 2 x 10-4 ohm.cm. These films will be evaluated in a display manufacturer's product line. We will commercialize the technology in Phase III of the program.