Mixed phase F-doped SnO2 film and related properties deposited by ultrasonic spraying

Fluorine-doped tin oxide thin films with amorphous/crystal mixed phases wer e deposited on silicon and quartz sheets by an ultrasonic spraying method a nd investigated with XPS, XRD, AFM and TEM techniques. The XRD spectra and the results of TEM analysis show that nanoscale amorphous clusters were for med within the grain boundary region. At room temperature, electron transpo rtation is predominantly limited by amorphous defect scattering of the crys tal grain boundary region. The minimum electrical resistivity 4.0 x 10(-4) Omega cm was obtained through decreasing the amorphous phase fraction and t he preferred orientation arrangement of the crystal grains. A 0.8-eV shift exists between the tin 3d binding energy in thin films having the preferred crystallite orientation with (1 1 0) plane parallel to the substrate and t hat with the (2 0 0) plane parallel to the substrate. (C) 2001 Kluwer Acade mic Publishers.