Effect of deposition temperature on electro-optical properties of SnO ₂ thin films fabricated by a PECVD method

Tin oxide (SnO₂) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) method at different temperatures. The XRD data indicate that films are polycrystalline SnO ₂, which is in the tetragonal system with a rutile-type structure. As the deposition temperature was increased, the texture plane of a film changed from the (200) plane to denser (211) and (110) planes. SnO₂ thin films prepared at 275°C have a high resistivity of 1.07×10 ^-1 Ω·cm and low transmittance of 69.78%. On the other hand, SnO₂ thin films deposited at 325-425°C show an electrical resistivity of ∼10^-2 Ω·cm and a transmission coefficient between 80% and 85% in most of the visible spectrum. The properties of SnO₂ films were critically affected by the deposition temperature.