Mike Simmons, Mark George, Intellivation LLC, Loveland, CO
Depositing transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) on flexible substrates using roll-to-roll (R2R) technology enables large-scale manufacturing of thin-film photovoltaics, flexible electronics, and opto-electronic sensors. Achieving low bulk resistivity in these films remains challenging because many flexible substrates cannot be heated to the high temperatures (e.g., >200 C) commonly used for rigid substrates in sheet-to-sheet (S2S) coaters. This presentation describes the effects of varying sputter gas composition and sputter frequency to improve TCO bulk resistivity. Complex design-of-experiments (DOEs) can be executed rapidly using advanced HMI and controls combined with in-situ metrology. Results and their relevance to ITO transparent-coating applications will be discussed.