Process for producing a transparent layer with low resistivity
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Vitrage
InventorsJean-Pierre Brochot, Danielle Pillias, Isabelle Wuest, Jean-Pierre Beaufays, Maurice Darmont
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Abstract
A method for depositing on glass, by reactive cathode sputtering, a layer of indium tin oxide with low resistivity and high transparency, where a layer with at least a minimum intrinsic absorption coefficient is deposited and then a heat treatment, including of one reducing phase, is performed.
Claims18
A process for coating a transparent substrate with a highly conductive, transparent layer having an indium based doped with tin and oxidized and having a resistivity less than 3.5.times.10.sup.-4 ohms.cm, comprising the following steps:
- depositing a layer of indium tin oxide on glass at substoichiometric conditions by cathode sputtering from a target of an indium alloy comprising at least 2% tin by weight,
- controlling said cathode sputtering to produce a layer having an intrinsic absorption coefficient that is equal to or greater than 7,500 cm.sup.-1 at a wavelength of 550 nm, and
- heat treating said layer after deposition on said glass using a reducing phase.
A process for coating a transparent substrate with a highly conductive, transparent layer having an indium base doped with tin and oxidized and having a resistivity less than 3.5.times.10.sup.-4 ohms.cm, comprising the steps of:
- calibrating a cathode sputtering process to determine a relationship between an absorption coefficient of a layer of indium doped with tin and oxidized that is formed by said cathode sputtering process and an intensity of a spectral line in a plasma formed at a cathode during said sputtering;
- depositing a layer of indium tin oxide on said transparent substrate at substoichiometric conditions by cathode sputtering from a target of an indium alloy comprising at least 2% tin by weight,
- during said sputtering, measuring the intensity of said spectral line in the plasma formed at the cathode during said sputtering;
- controlling the cathode sputtering process so that the measured intensity corresponds to an intrinsic absorption coefficient that is equal to or greater than 7,500 cm.sup.-1 at a wavelength of 550 nm as determined during said calibration step;
- and
- heat treating said layer after deposition on said glass using a reducing phase.
A process for coating a transparent substrate with a highly conductive, transparent layer having an indium base doped with tin and oxidized and having a resistivity less than 3.5.times.10.sup.-4 ohms.cm, comprising the steps of:
- calibrating the process by forming a plurality of samples by:
- depositing a layer of indium tin oxide on a plurality of glass samples at substoichiometric conditions by cathode sputtering from a target of an indium alloy;
- measuring the intensities of a spectral line in a plasma formed at the cathode during said sputtering;
- measuring the intrinsic absorption coefficient of each glass sample;
- and
- establishing a relationship between the measured intensities and the measured intrinsic absorption coefficients;
- depositing a layer of indium tin oxide on a transparent substrate at substoichiometric conditions by cathode sputtering from a target of an indium alloy comprising at least 2% tin by weight, where the layer obtained has an intrinsic absorption coefficient that is equal to or greater than 7,500 cm.sup.-1 at a wavelength of 550 nm;
- during said sputtering, measuring the intensity of said spectral line in the plasma formed at the cathode during said sputtering;
- controlling said sputtering so that the measured intensity corresponds to the desired intrinsic absorption coefficient as specified in the relationship determined during said calibration step;
- and
- heat treating said layer after deposition on said glass using a reducing phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.