It was recalled that hafnia layers could be prepared, by electron-beam evaporation using high O pressures and low substrate temperatures, so that they exhibited a low transparency in the visible range and a high electrical resistivity and could be transformed - by heat-treatment in an O atmosphere - into a transparent conducting phase. Such transformations were studied here in order to understand a similar transformation process which was achieved by laser heating. The transformation process was observed by means of in situ measurements of the electrical resistance of the thin films. Changes in material properties, such as optical transmittance, electrical resistivity, optical band-gap and activation energy were found, which were obviously caused by changes in the O concentration and binding states of the O atoms.

Investigations on Oxygen Diffusion in Annealing Processes of Non-Stoichiometric Amorphous Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films. T.Neubert, F.Neumann, K.Schiffmann, P.Willich, A.Hangleiter: Thin Solid Films, 513[1-2], 319-24