Comparative structural study between sputtered and liquid pyrolysis nanocrystaline SnO2

Comparative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (X PS characterisation of nanocrystalline tin oxide prepared by sputtering and liquid pyrolysis was carried out taking into account the main procedure st eps for each of these technological approaches. Results of morphological an d structural characterisation show high similarity between these two techno logies concerning structural parameters such as grain size and tin and oxyg en binding energies and their modification with the calcination process. Ne vertheless, some significant discrepancy remains after high-temperature tre atments, Sputtered samples present residual lattice distortions that seem t o be related to the layer compactness. Likewise, the role played by the oxy gen vacancy concentration in the distortion evolution with the thermal trea tments is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.