Effect of Sn Doping on the Properties of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis

Abstract

Layers of transparent and conductive Sn-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) have been prepared using chemical reactive liquid phase (spray) method on glass substrates. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the obtained layers show preferential grains orientation along the direction (002). Microstructural analysis indicates that the thickness of the deposited films is independent of Sn content, i.e. 408 nm, and that the average grain size increases with increasing Sn content, ranging from 31 nm to 42 nm. The value of the optical gap obtained using UV-visible transmission spectroscopy method increases slightly from 3.1 eV to 3.3 eV. Moreover, transmission curves reveal that the prepared thin films are transparent in the visible domain.