MOCVD of SnO2 thin films from a new organometallic precursor

The present work deals with the use and advantages of diethylaminodimethyls tannane(Iv) (I) as precursor for the CVD of SnO2 thin films. The films are deposited on alpha-Al2O3 and SiO2/Si(100) in O-2+H2O atmospheres, at temper atures ranging from 400 to 500 degrees C. High-purity, nanocrystalline laye rs with (101) preferential orientation are always obtained. A novel procedu re for doping SnO2 films with RuO2, which consists in a chemical bath depos ition on tin dioxide layers, is also described. Particular emphasys is give n to the possibility of tailoring material properties by a proper choice of the synthesis conditions. The thermal decomposition pattern of the precurs or (I) is studied by an H-1-NMR analysis of its pyrolysis byproducts. The m icrostructure of the samples is investigated by;XRD, while their surface an d in-depth chemical composition is studied by XPS. The morphology of:the fi lms and its dependance on the nature of the growth surface is examined by A FM. Electrical measurements indicate that RuO2 introduction in the SnO2 hos t matrix induces an appreciable enhancement of the layer conductivity.