Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Note: A Simple Thermal Gradient Annealing Unit For The Treatment Of Thin Films, C. Metting, Johnathan Bunn, Ellen Underwood, Yihao Zhu, G. Koley, T. Crawford, Jason Hattrick-Simpers

Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

A gradient annealing cell has been developed for the high-throughput study of thermalannealing effects on thin-film libraries in different environments. The inexpensive gradientannealing unit permits temperature gradients as large as 28 °C/mm and can accommodate samples ranging in length from 13 mm to 51 mm. The system was validated by investigating the effects of annealing temperature on the crystallinity, resistivity, and transparency of tin-doped indium oxide deposited on a glass substrate by magnetron sputtering. The unit developed in this work will permit the rapid optimization of materials properties such as crystallinity, homogeneity, and conductivity across a variety of applications.