A series
of In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> thin films, ranging from
X-ray diffraction amorphous to highly crystalline, were grown on amorphous
silica substrates using pulsed laser deposition by varying the film
growth temperature. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition and the
structure of amorphous In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> were investigated
by grazing angle X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Hall transport measurement,
high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron
diffraction, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and <i>ab initio</i> molecular dynamics (MD) liquid-quench simulation.
On the basis of excellent agreement between the EXAFS and MD results,
a model of the amorphous oxide structure as a network of InO<sub><i>x</i></sub> polyhedra was constructed. Mechanisms for the transport
properties observed in the crystalline, amorphous-to-crystalline,
and amorphous deposition regions are presented, highlighting a unique
structure–property relationship