"

Cookies ussage consent

I agree.

Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our site without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.

Optoelectronic properties of nanocrystalline F-doped SnO2 (FTO) films prepared by sol-gel spin coating technique

N. SANKARASUBRAMANIAN1, K. SANTHAKUMARI2, V. S. VIDHYA3, L. C. NEHRU3, B. SUBRAMANIAN3, A. THAYUMANAVAN4, S. RAMAMURTHY5, C. SANJEEVIRAJA6, M. JAYACHANDRAN3,*

Affiliation

  1. Department of Physics, Thiagarajar college of Engineering, Madurai-625015, India
  2. Department of physics, SASTRA University, Thirumalai Samuthiram-613402, India
  3. ECMS Division, Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi-630006, India
  4. Department of Physics, AVVM Sri Pushpam College, Poondi-613503, India
  5. Department of Physics, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram-624302, India
  6. Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630003, India

Abstract

F-doped Transparent tin oxide thin films (SnO2:F) have been prepared using the sol–gel spin coating technique. In order to optimize the dopant concentration, sol-gel samples of different F/Sn ratios from 1.0 to 12.5 at.%, were prepared, spin coated and heated at temperatures ranging from 325 to 450oC with an optimum number of 8 coatings. Their structural, optoelectronic and morphological properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed the nanocrystalline nature of the developed films. The films deposited at 400oC with a F/Sn ratio of 7.5 at.%, were highly transparent in the visible region with a refractive index value of about 2.0 and have low resistivity. Surface morphological studies by SEM and AFM images showed marked influence of F-dopant concentrations on the topography of SnO2:F films.

Keywords

Thin film, Spin coating, F doped tin oxide, Conducting oxide.

Citation

N. SANKARASUBRAMANIAN, K. SANTHAKUMARI, V. S. VIDHYA, L. C. NEHRU, B. SUBRAMANIAN, A. THAYUMANAVAN, S. RAMAMURTHY, C. SANJEEVIRAJA, M. JAYACHANDRAN, Optoelectronic properties of nanocrystalline F-doped SnO2 (FTO) films prepared by sol-gel spin coating technique, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 1, 9, September 2007, pp.417-424 (2007).

Submitted at: Aug. 9, 2007

Accepted at: Aug. 15, 2007