A study of atypical grain growth properties for SnO2 thin films

SnO2 thin films were grown on Si substrate using the chemical vapor deposition(CVD) method. The surface of the thin film was examined using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Atypical shaped grains and atypical columnar structures were observed on the SnO2 thin films that were exposed to air after first deposition and during re-deposition in anaerobic conditions in the CVD. The electrical properties of SnO2 thin films feature a lower range of resistance in single mode, but after the atypical particles appear, the electrical resistance decreased. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.