Synthesis of Porous Ni-Doped SnO2 Thin Film by Using Spray Pyrolysis

Doping SnO2 with metal cations has been tested for photo-catalytic applications by shifting the threshold for photonic excitation of the tin oxide (SnO2) towards the visible. Nevertheless, as far as we know, there is no report on how Ni-doping of SnO2 thin films by the spray pyrolysis method has been carried out. In this work, we report a new kind of experimental realization of a porous Ni-doped SnO2 thin film on glass, which is based on a spray pyrolysis process at room temperature. To prepare porous structures, the Ni-doped SnO2 thin film samples were annealed at 400 degrees C for 1 h in air. As a result, this porous Ni-doped SnO2 thin film possesses a high specific surface area and unbroken porosity, which is especially desirable for gas sensor design. The surface morphology of the porous Ni-doped SnO2 films was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The root-mean-square (rms) surface roughness value determined from AFM image is 11.85 nm on a 5 x 5 mu m2 scan area. (c) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011