Texture in ITO films deposited at oblique incidence by ion beam sputtering

Texture of crystalline In2O3:Sn (ITO) thin films prepared by combining ion beam sputtering (IBS) at room temperature and oblique angle deposition (OAD) has been studied depending on the vapor incidence on Si substrates (alpha, ranging from 50 degrees to 85 degrees) and the ions used to sputter the target (argon or xenon accelerated at 1.2 keV). Films obtained using Xe ions show an unusual evolution depending on the deposition angle alpha, with the development of a dual biaxial (1 1 1) off-axis texture for alpha <= 70 degrees, and a switching in the preferred out-of-plane orientation from [1 1 1] to [0 0 1] for alpha > 70 degrees that leads to a biaxial (0 0 1) texture at highest deposition angles. These behaviors are well described by mechanisms involving a maximization of the direct capture of the adatoms on {1 1 1} planes, which can however be hindered when mobilities are exalted such as in the case of Ar deposition. The tuning of adatoms mobilities through the IBS process mixed with the control of the deposition angle offered by the OAD geometry appears as an efficient route to achieve an upgraded texture engineering in nanostructured ITO thin films.