Induced structural damages by He+ irradiation in conducting transparent indium-tin oxide thin films

Abstract Irradiation of polycrystalline sputter-deposited ITO thin films on float-glass substrates was performed with high-energy MeV He + ion beam implantation at doses in the range 2–6×10 +15  ions/cm 2 . A significant change in both surface morphology and crystallographic structure after implantation was observed. It results in a crystallographic disorder of large crystallites with the ion dose, creation of electronic defects and a roughening of the ITO thin-films’ surface.