Properties of fluorine-doped tin oxide films prepared by an improved sol-gel process. (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shi, X.H.; Xu, K.J.
• Is Part Of: Materials science in semiconductor processing. Volume 58(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 7
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: Sol-gel process -- Evaporation method -- Fluorine-doped tin oxide -- Photoelectric property -- Films; Semiconductors -- Periodicals; Integrated circuits -- Materials -- Periodicals; Semiconducteurs -- Périodiques; Circuits intégrés -- Matériaux -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 621.38152
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mssp.2016.09.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-8001

Abstract

Abstract: Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) films were prepared by an improved sol-gel process, in which FTO films were deposited on glass substrates using evaporation method, with the precursors prepared by the conventional sol-gel method. The coating and sintering processes were combined in the evaporation method, with the advantage of reduced probability of films cracking and simplified preparation process. The effects of F-doping contents and structure of films on properties of films were analyzed. The results showed the performance index ( Φ TC =3.535×10 −3 Ω −1 cm) of the film was maximum with surface resistance ( R sh ) of 14.7 Ω cm −1, average transmittance (T) of 74.4% when F/Sn=14 mol%, the reaction temperature of the sol was 50 °C, and the evaporation temperature was 600 °C in muffle furnace, and the film has densification pyramid morphology and SnO2−x Fx polycrystalline structure with tetragonal rutile phase. Compared with the commercial FTO films ( Φ TC =3.9×10 −3 Ω −1 cm, R sh =27.4 Ω cm −1, T=80%) produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, the Φ TC value of FTO films prepared by an improved sol-gel process is close to them, the electrical properties are higher, and the optical properties are lower.