This article presents a comprehensive study of thin-film coatings based on indium tin oxide. The percolation threshold is established at ?6.8 nm, above which a continuous electrically conductive film is formed. A systematic analysis is performed of the evolution of microstructural and optoelectronic properties across the percolation transition, both in the as-deposited amorphous state and after thermal annealing at 400 oC. The optical band gap, determined within the indirect-transition model, is found to exhibit a non-monotonic dependence on film thickness in the vicinity of the percolation threshold. A correlation between morphology and wettability is revealed, manifesting as an abrupt change in the water contact angle across the percolation transition. It is shown that recrystallization induced by annealing does not shift the percolation threshold; however, it significantly enhances the crystalline quality and reduces the surface defect density, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy data. The obtained results provide a foundation for the targeted design of ultrathin ceramic coatings with predictable optoelectronic and microstructural properties.
Nikita S. Parashchuk – junior researcher, Laboratory of Photonics and Organic Electronics, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Vitaliya D. Chkheidze – laboratory assistant, Laboratory of Photonics and Organic Electronics, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Arina E. Tairova – laboratory assistant, Laboratory of Photonics and Organic Electronics, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Karina A. Gubina – laboratory assistant, Laboratory of Photonics and Organic Electronics, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Sergei V. Kuznetsov – PhD in Chemistry, leading researcher, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Valery V. Voronov – PhD in Physics and Mathematics, leading researcher, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Denis N. Chausov – Grand PhD in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor, head of the Laboratory of Photonics and Organic Electronics, Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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DOI: 10.14489/glc.2026.11.pp.051-057
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