Ethanolamine-assisted low-temperature crystallization of hydroxide nanoparticle ink into transparent and conductive ITO layers. Issue 7 (24th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Yujing; Moser, Thierry; Andres, Christian; Gorjan, Lovro; Remhof, Arndt; Clemens, Frank; Graule, Thomas; Tiwari, Ayodhya N.; Romanyuk, Yaroslav E.
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 7:Issue 7(2019)
• Page Start: 3083
• Page End: 3089
• Publication Date: 2019-01-24
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c8ta09891c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Surface modification with ethanolamine was elaborated to reduce crystallization temperature and achieve transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers from a solution processing method. Abstract : Low-temperature crystallization is desired for achieving solution processable transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers. Here we demonstrate a low-temperature crystallization of tin doped indium oxide (ITO) layers by taking preformed indium-tin hydroxide nanoparticles as the precursor and applying surface modification with ethanolamine on the as-prepared layers. Surface modification with ethanolamine is shown to speed up the dehydration of the hydroxide precursor, resulting in earlier onset of crystallization into the cubic bixbyite ITO phase with a larger crystal size. The ethanolamine-modified ITO nanoparticle layer possesses fewer surface hydroxyl groups as compared to the non-treated layer, corresponding to a higher charge carrier concentration, as manifested in a near IR absorption. The nanoparticle ITO layer shows dc conductivity two times higher than that of the non-treated layer. A conductivity of 43 S cm −1 combined with a high optical transmittance of above 90% in the 380–1100 nm wavelength range is obtained for the nanoparticle ITO layer annealed at 300 °C.