Structural and optical properties of thin indium oxide films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Thin indium oxide (In₂O₃) films were grown on (001) SiO₂ by pulsed laser deposition techniqe at oxygen pressure from 1 to 20 Pa and substrate temperature between 100 and 500 °C from ceramic targets. The structural and optical properties of the films were investigated as a function of the growth conditions: oxygen pressure and substrate temperature. Polycrystalline In₂)O₃ films with prefer3ential (111) orientation were produced at oxygen pressure higher than 5 Pa and temperature higher than 100 °C. The Raman spectra confirm the cubic structure of the films. The films have transparency between 85% and 92% in the 400-2400 nm spectral range. The lowest optical waveguide loss measured is 9 dB/cm for the film grown at the optimum conditions: P(O₂) = 10 Pa and T_s = 300 °C.