Preparation of Low Resistance and Residue-free ITO Films for Large-scale 3D Displays.

The large-sized naked-eye three-dimensional (3D) display is a critical device in real-time topographic survey for deep-sea scientific research. As a core component, the low-impedance transparent conductive Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin film electrode lacks a reliable industrial preparation method. In the 3D display, the grating element with a low-resistance ITO film electrode should have a good binocular parallax to drive the display favorably. However, the ITO film temperature rise during deposition may induce its crystallization, and its etching residue may cause a short circuit between the ITO electrodes, and an abnormal display operation. In this work, we propose a simple and straightforward technique to produce amorphous thin ITO films through controlling the water vapor flow rate during the deposition process. The obtained ITO amorphous thick film (300 nm) can be etched without leaving residues on the display surface, ensuring vivid display performance of the 3D display. A field test employing the 3D display, consisting of a 3D parallax barrier and a 2D display, does not exhibit short circuit phenomenon caused by residues encountered in previous devices. This work makes the 3D display applicable for real-time topographic survey on base of both satisfying the non-etching residue and the decrease of resistance value.