Tin oxide APCVD thin films grown by SnCl₄ oxidation on glass and Si substrates in a cold wall reactor

Abstract
Tin oxide films were grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) on glass and Si substrates at atmospheric pressure (AP) and temperatures varying between 430 and 580°C in a cold wall orizontal reactor, radiatevelly heated, by oxidation of SnCl₄ vapors with O₂. The structure of SnO₂ thin films has been studied by X-ray diffraction and their surface morphology by Scanning Electronic Microscopy. It was shown that films have a grain size that increases with temperature from 0.1 to 0.50nm as the temperature of deposition increases from 430 to 580°C. It was also shown that that they present very good uniformity at temperatures between 450 and 480°C. Electrical resistivity measurements have been perfomed in the temperature range 300-600K. The most conductive films were obtained at 480°C. Furthemore, these films exhibited the highest transmission, of the order of 80%. In this case the minimum resistivity value is about l.6.10^-3Ω.cm. Tin oxide films present no hase and they also exhibit high transmission in the visible range, larger than 80%.