Polycrystalline SnO2 films grown by chemical vapor deposition on quartz glass

Tin dioxide (SnO2) thin films were deposited on quartz glass substrates by chemical vapor deposition using SnI2 and O-2 as reactants. The growth experiments were carried out in the substrate temperature range of 300-900 degrees C. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, spectrophotometry and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the films. The films were polycrystalline with their crystallites having a preferred orientation, which was dependent on the film thickness. The average grain size increased with increasing thickness of the films. The binding energies of Sn 3d(5/2) and O 1s for all samples showed the Sn4+ and O-Sn4+ bonding state from SnO2. The absolute average transmittance of SnO2 films exceeded 90% in the visible and infrared range. The obtained SnO2 films had optical band gaps between 3.78 and 3.92 eV. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.