Work function increase of indium-tin-oxide surfaces by atmospheric air plasma treatment with steady-state airflow

Journal Article · Thu Sep 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2006137· OSTI ID:20723060

Choi, Jai Hyuk; Lee, Eung Suok; Choi, Sang Hun; Baik, Hong Koo; Song, Kie Moon; Lim, Yong Sik; Lee, Seong-Min ^[1]

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1. Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seodaemoon-Ku, Shinchon-Dong 134, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

Atmospheric air-plasma treatment of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) surfaces has been investigated as an alternative to a conventional oxygen (O{sub 2}) vacuum plasma process. For this study, we devised an atmospheric air barrier plasma system having a dimension of 1000x600 mm{sup 2} and successfully verified a possibility to ignite and maintain an atmospheric pressure discharge only in the ambient air. In particular, we used the steady-state airflow to generate more atomic oxygen radicals as oxygen gas during the vacuum plasma process and to prevent redeposition of the removed or transformed impurities onto the indium-tin-oxide substrate. The x-ray photoemission spectroscopy examination indicated that the adoption of the atmospheric-air plasma treatment reduced the surface content of carbon from 22.1% down to 8.5% and increased that of oxygen from 43% up to 57%. According to the photoelectron spectrometer (AC-1, RIKKEN) result, we obtained a work function of 5.11 eV for the treated ITO surfaces after 1 min treatment time, which is higher than that of 4.87 eV for the untreated ITO surface. Consequently, we can effectively remove the carbon contamination and increase the work function of the ITO surface by means of the atmospheric air plasma treatment with steady-state airflow.

• OSTI ID: 20723060
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 23, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2006137; (c) 2005 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AIR
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
CARBON
CONTAMINATION
EV RANGE 01-10
IMPURITIES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PHOTOEMISSION
PLASMA
RADICALS
SPECTROMETERS
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE TREATMENTS
TIN OXIDES
WORK FUNCTIONS
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY