Journal of Electron Microscopy 49(1): 67-72 (2000)
© 2000 Oxford University Press
On the grain boundary segregation of Sn in indium-tin-oxide thin films
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555
2Department of Materials Science, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: morikawa{at}mse.nitech.ac.jp
The determination of Sn segregation by means of electron energy loss spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been attempted on indium-tin-oxide thin films prepared by various processes: (a) as-deposited at room temperature; (b) after annealing at 533 K in vacuum; (c) after annealing in air; and (d) as-deposited at 473 K. The occurrence of Sn segregation both at the surface and at the grain boundary was proved. The degree of segregation detected, varied depending on the preparation process of the films.
Keywords indium-tin-oxide, spatially resolved EELS, boundary segregation
Received 11 December 1998, accepted 11 November 1999