Nd:YVO4 laser patterning of various transparent conductive oxide thin films on glass substrate at a wavelength of 1,064 nm

Abstract

At an infra-red (IR) wavelength of 1,064 nm, a diode-pumped Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser was used for the direct patterning of various transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin films on glass substrate. With various laser beam conditions, the laser ablation results showed that the indium tin oxide (ITO) film was removed completely. In contrast, zinc oxide (ZnO) film was not etched for any laser beam conditions and indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) was only ablated with a low scanning speed. The difference in laser ablation is thought to be due to the crystal structures and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of ITO, IGZO, and ZnO. The width of the laser-patterned grooves was dependent on the film materials, the repetition rate, and the scanning speed of the laser beam. © 2013 KIEEME. All rights reserved.