The initial growth mode of indium tin oxide (ITO) on polycarbonate (PC) substrates was investigated. Some of the PC substrates were bombarded by 1-keV Ar ions in an oxygen environment to modify the substrate surface before ITO sputter deposition. The initial part of the film growth was transformed from a three-dimensional island growth to a two-dimensional like growth as a result of the surface treatment. The change of the growth mode was attributed to oxygen-bound functional groups newly formed on the PC surface. Models based on thermodynamic theory and on atomic kinetic approach are presented to explain the transition, respectively.

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