High-quality indium–tin–oxide (ITO) thin films (200–850 nm) have been grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on glass substrates without a postdeposition annealing treatment. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of these films have been investigated as a function of target composition, substrate deposition temperature, background gas pressure, and film thickness. Films were deposited from various target compositions ranging from 0 to 15 wt % of ${\mathrm{SnO}}_{\mathrm{2}}$ content. The optimum target composition for high conductivity was 5 wt % ${\mathrm{SnO}}_{\mathrm{2}}\text{+95}$ wt % ${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{3}}.$ Films were deposited at substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 300 °C in ${\mathrm{O}}_2$ partial pressures ranging from 1 to 100 mTorr. Films were deposited using a KrF excimer laser (248 nm, 30 ns full width at half maximum) at a fluence of 2 ${\mathrm{J/cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}.$ For a 150-nm-thick ITO film grown at room temperature in an oxygen pressure of 10 mTorr, the resistivity was ${\text{4×10}}^{\text{−4}}$ Ω cm and the average transmission in the visible range (400–700 nm) was 85%. For a 170-nm-thick ITO film deposited at 300 °C in 10 mTorr of oxygen, the resistivity was ${\text{2×10}}^{\text{−4}}$ Ω cm and the average transmission in the visible range was 92%. The Hall mobility and carrier density for a 150-nm-thick film deposited at 300 °C were 27 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{/V s}$ and ${\text{1.4×10}}^{21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-3}},$ respectively. A reduction in the refractive index for ITO films can be achieved by raising the electron density in the films, which can be obtained by increasing the concentration of Sn dopants in the targets and/or increasing deposition temperature. Atomic force microscopy measurements of these ITO films indicated that their root-mean-square surface roughness (∼5 Å) was superior to that of commercially available sputter deposited ITO films (∼40 Å). The PLD ITO films were used to fabricate organic light-emitting diodes. From these structures the electroluminescence was measured and an external quantum efficiency of 1.5% was calculated.

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films (∼3000 Å) with low electrical resistivity and high optical transparency have been grown by pulsed-laser deposition on glass substrates without a postdeposition anneal. Films were deposited at substrate temperatures ranging from room temperature to 400 °C in O2 partial pressures ranging from 0.1 to 50 mTorr. For 3000-Å-thick AZO films grown at room temperature in an oxygen pressure of 5 mTorr, the electrical resistivity was 8.7×10−4 Ω cm and the average optical transmittance was 86% in the visible range (400–700 nm). For 3000-Å-thick AZO films deposited at 200 °C in 5 mTorr of oxygen, the resistivity was 3.8×10−4 Ω cm and the average optical transmittance in the visible range was 91%. AZO films grown at 200 °C were used as an anode contact for organic light-emitting diodes. The external quantum efficiency measured from these devices was about 0.3% at a current density of 100 A/m2.

High-quality indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films (150–200 nm) were grown on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) without postdeposition annealing. The electrical, optical, and structural properties of these films were investigated as a function of substrate temperature, oxygen pressure, and film thickness. PLD provides very uniform ITO films with high transparency (⩾85% in 400–700 nm spectrum) and low electrical resistivity ${\text{(2–4×10}}^{\text{−4}}\mathrm{ \Omega }\mathrm{cm).}$ The Hall mobility and carrier density for a 170-nm-thick film deposited at 300 °C are $\text{29\hspace{0.05em}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{/V s}$ and ${\text{1.45×10}}^{21} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-3}},$ respectively. Atomic force microscopy measurements of the ITO films indicated that their root-mean-square surface roughness (∼5 Å) is superior to that (∼40 Å) of commercially available ITO films deposited by sputtering. ITO films grown at room temperature by PLD were used to study the electroluminescence (EL) performance of organic light-emitting devices. The EL performance was comparable to that measured with commercial ITO anodes.

Transparent conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films (40–870 nm) were grown by pulsed laser deposition on amorphous substrates and the structural, electrical, and optical properties of these films were investigated. Films were deposited using a KrF excimer laser (248 nm, 30 ns FWHM) at a fluence of 2 ${\mathrm{J/cm}}^2,$ at substrate temperature of 300 °C and 10 mTorr of oxygen pressure. For ITO films (30–400 nm thickness) deposited at 300 °C in 10 mTorr of oxygen, a resistivity of ${\text{1.8–2.5×10}}^{\text{−4}}$ Ω cm was observed and the average transmission in the visible range (400–700 nm) was about 85%–90%. The Hall mobility and carrier density for ITO films (40–870 nm thickness) were observed to be in the range of 24–27 ${\mathrm{cm}}^2/\mathrm{V} \mathrm{s}$ and ${\text{8–13×10}}^{20}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\text{−3}},$ respectively. The ITO films have been used as the anode contact in organic light emitting diodes and the effect of ITO film thickness on the device performance has been studied. The optimum thickness of the ITO anode for the maximum device efficiency was observed to be about 60–100 nm. The device with the optimum thickness of ITO anode showed an external quantum efficiency of about 0.85% at 100 ${\mathrm{A/m}}^{\mathrm{2}}.$