Synthesis and characterization of SnO2 thin films using metalorganic precursors

Tetrakis (dimethylamino) tin(IV) (TDMASn) is a metal organic precursor used for fabricating transparent conducting tin oxide (SnO2) thin films via atomic layer deposition process (ALD). This study reported for the first time, a spin coating fabrication process of transparent conducting SnO2 thin films using TDMASn as the precursor for electrode materials of solar cells substrate. The samples were prepared using sol-gel spin-coating process and annealed at different temperatures to form metastable crystal structured SnO2 thin films. The manufactured thin films consequently underwent X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, and resistivity analysis. The XRD analysis certified the films to be of polycrystalline structure, with the SEM results revealing variations in film thicknesses. The UV- vis analysis demonstrated a peak absorption band at 250 nm, while the highest transmittance of 83.2% in the visible range was noticed at the 550 ? sample.(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).