Abstract: An optically transparent electrode, indium tin oxide (ITO) film is fabricated by vacuum E-beam evaporation. The thermal annealing effects on the ITO/GaP contact have been investigated by means of the transmission line model method. Under 435 ℃, with rapid thermal annealing for 40 s in N2 ambient, the ITO contact resistance reaches the minimized value of 4.3 × 10^-3 Ω·cm². The results from Hall testing and Auger spectra analysis indicate that the main reasons for the change of the contact resistance are the difference in the concentration of carriers and the diffusion of In, Ga, O. Furthermore, the reliability of AlGaInP LEDs with a 300-nm thickness transparent conducting ITO film is studied. The increase of LED chip voltage results from the degradation of ITO film. Moreover the difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of GaP and ITO results in the invalidation of the LED chip.

Key words: indium tin oxide