THE EFFECT OF F, CL AND BR DOPING ON THE GROWTH AND STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES OF SPRAYED SNO2 FILMS

The effect of halogen (F, CI and Br) doping on growth kinetics and str uctural properties of spray pyrolytically deposited tin dioxide (SnO2) films was studied in detail. The strengths of the halo-acids and henc e the electronegativities of the halogens played an important role in governing the reaction processes which controlled the growth kinetics of the films. F doping affected the growth rate of a firn the least, w hereas Cf and Br doping reduced the growth rate to an increasing exten t. The structural properties were less affected by doping. The films w ere polycrystalline and remained highly textured along the [200] direc tion irrespective of the dopant as well as of the doping level. The gr ain size remained essentially the same regardless of the dopant.