Characterization of transparent conducting oxide thin films deposited on ceramic substrates

In this work, we investigate the optical and electrical properties of various transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin films deposited on insulating ceramics for emerging optoelectronic applications. Thin films investigated include indium tin oxide (ITO), ruthenium oxide (RuO2), and iridium oxide (IrO2) on Al2O3 ceramic substrates. The conducting films have been deposited by various techniques including RF magnetron sputtering and low-cost spray pyrolysis. The morphological characteristics of the films were carried out using high magnification optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Optical and electrical characterization was carried out by optical absorbance/transmittance, van der Pauw, current–voltage (I–V), and Hall effect measurements. The results are presented in this paper.