Optical absorption in amorphous thin films of SnO2 deposited by thermal evaporation

The fundamental absorption edge of SnO2 amorphous thin films has been investigated. It has been observed that the optical energy gap decreases with the increase in film thickness, substrate temperature and post deposition annealing. The results are analysed by assuming optical absorption by non-direct transition. The decrease in optical band gap with increase in film thickness may be interpreted in terms of the incorporation of oxygen vacancies in the SnO2 lattice. The decrease in optical energy due to the increase in substrate temperature may be ascribed to the release of trapped electrons by thermal energy or by the outward diffusion of the oxygen-ion vacancies, which are quite mobile even at low temperatures. The decrease in optical band gap due to annealing may be due to the formation of tin species of lower oxidation state.