Fine patterning of transparent, conductive SnO2 thin films by UV-irradiation

Finely patterned transparent, conductive SnO2 thin films have been prepared . UV-light from a high-pressure mercury lamp was irradiated through a mask on the precursor films prepared from SnCl2 with acetyl acetone in the ambie nt atmosphere, and this irradiation led to the change of solubility of the films in alkaline solution. Patterns with a width of about 3 to 50 mum and thickness of about 0.1 mum were formed with a pitch of about 2 to 20 mum. T he resistivity of the films heat-treated at 500 degreesC after UV irradiati on was about 1 x 10(-2) Omega cm, which was almost the same resisitivity fo r the films heat-treated at 500 degreesC without UV irradiation.