Determination of grain size in indium tin oxide films from transmission measurements

The grain size of In(2)O(3):Sn thin films on transparent substrates is determined. The method employs the ratio of specular to total transmission to deduce the film grain size. Interpretation of these data is accomplished with the aid of Bhattacharyya et al.'s model [Vacuum 43, 1201 (1992)] of a polycrystalline thin film. This is combined with knowledge of scattering cross-correlation laws. Finally, a simple correction is derived for the scattering contribution from the substrate. Although approximate, the results for the grain size obtained by the reported optical method and by scanning electron microscopy were in agreement within experimental uncertainties.