High Resistivity Transparent/Conductive Coatings for Space Applications: Problems and Possible Improvements

Abstract

We have prepared transparent films with a sheet relativity of 10(exp 1) to 10(exp 12) ohm/square by co-depositing a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) with magnesium fluoride, using two independently controlled RF magnetron sputter guns to facilitate adjustment of the film composition, Co-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) and MgF2 on quartz and flexible polymeric substrate exhibited reasonably stable sheet resistivity over several months' time, with substantially lower optical reflectance than that of pure ITO. However, exposure to low-intensity blue light reduces sheet resistivity by as much as two orders of magnitude. Our results suggest this photoconductivity effect may be present in all InO(x)-based materials. We find that sheet resistivity can by "tuned" by admitting a small amount of high-purity air during deposition offering the possibility of closed loop process control.