Electrical properties of nonstoichiometric In2O3-x thin films

Thin films of indium oxide were grown heteroepitaxially by dc magnetron sputtering onto (110) faces of crystalline yttriastabillized zirconia. Resistance versus temperature of the films was measured in situ in a wide temperature range during film heating and cooling under various oxygen pressure conditions. Insulator–metal (I–M) phase transition induced in the nonstoichiometric oxide material with oxygen content variation has been indicated. The characteristic activation energy of oxygen diffusion in the material has been estimated by analysing temperature and oxygen content-dependent resistance kinetics. Keywords: In2O3 films, electroresistivity, magnetron sputtering, oxygen diffusion, insulator–metal transition