SnO₂:F thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering: effect of the SnF₂ amount in the target on the physical properties

F. de Moure-Flores^a, A. Guillén-Cervantes^b, K.E. Nieto-Zepeda^b, J.G. Quiñones-Galván^b, A. Hernández-Hernández^b, M. de la L. Olvera^c, and M. Meléndez-Lira^b

^a Facultad de Química Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010, México, Tel.:+52 442-1921200. e-mail: fcomoure@hotmail.com.

^b Departamento de Física, CINVESTAV-IPN, Apartado Postal 14-740, México D.F. 07360, México.

^c Departamento de ingeniería eléctrica, Sección de estado sólido, CINVESTAV-IPN, Apartado Postal 14-740, México D.F. 07360, México.

Received 30 November 2012
Accepted 12 March 2013

Abstract

SnO₂:F thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering onto glass substrates using SnF₂ as fluorine source. The films were deposited under a mixed argon/hydrogen atmosphere at a substrate temperature of 500°C. The X-ray diffraction shows that polycrystalline films were grown with a phases mixture of SnO₂ and SnO. The optical transmittance is between 80 and 90%. The physical properties of the films suggest that SnO₂ thin films grown with small SnF₂ content in the target can be considered as candidates for transparent electrodes.

Keywords: F-doped tin oxide; transparent conducting oxide; RF magnetron sputtering; transparent electrodes.

PACS: 81.10.Pq; 81.10.St; 81.15.Dj

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the technical support of Marcela Guerrero and Rogelio Fragoso from the Physics department, CINVESTAV-IPN and the partial support of CONACyT-México.

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