Preparation of fluorine-doped tin oxide films at low substrate temperature by an advanced spray pyrolysis technique, and their characterization

Indispensable fluorine-doped tin oxide thin films were prepared on glass substrates by an advanced spray pyrolysis technique at low substrate temperature, with stannic chloride (SnCl4 center dot 5H(2)O) and ammonium fluoride (NH4F) as precursors. The films were grown at different substrate temperatures varied in the range of 523-613 K. The influence of the substrate temperature on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of the films has been investigated. XRD studies show that all the films are polycrystalline and have a tetragonal crystal structure. The films deposited at the 613 K substrate temperature exhibit the lowest sheet resistance (17.82 Omega) with optical transmittance of similar to 75% (at 550 nm). Hall-effect measurements showed that the films are heavily doped degenerate semiconductors with n-type electrical conductivity.